Above: Group photo from the Toledo PMC Labor Day Banquet, featuring members of the council, local electeds, MTD ES-T Clements, and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
September is always a momentous occasion: schools reopen, the football season begins, and Fall weather creeps in. It’s also when many of the Maritime Trades Department’s Port Maritime Councils are at their busiest. This past month was no exception, with many councils putting on events and bolstering solidarity in their communities.
The Toledo Maritime Port Council kicked off the month with their traditional pre-Labor Day banquet. This year’s dinner set the record for high attendance post-pandemic, with local union leaders, rank and file members, and area politicians rubbing elbows. Of particular note, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur spoke on various waterfront revitalization projects in the area. PMC President John Clemons and MTD Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark Clements provided additional remarks. The Toledo council also ginned up excitement for their appearance in the city’s Labor Day parade later that weekend.
Speaking of Labor Day parades, the Port Maritime Council of Southern California celebrated the 45th anniversary of the wildly successful Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition parade and picnic. Over 5,000 union members and their supporters marched this year, with nearly 50 unions participating. PMC President Larry Barragan noted that United Fire Fighters of Los Angeles City (IAFF Local 112) grilled over 3,000 hot dogs after the parade for picnic attendees.
Two weeks later, the Michigan PMC commemorated a 45th anniversary of their own, for their Ron Krochmalny Classic golf outing. ES-T Clements accompanied PMC President Jeannette Bradshaw making rounds on the course, taking team photos and selling raffle tickets. PMC Secretary-Treasurer Todd Brdak managed the event’s logistics throughout the day. The event did proper justice to the memory of the late Ron Krochmalny, a past PMC President.
Later in the month, the St. Louis PMC put on its own golf outing in the city’s storied Forest Park. After all the golfers had brought their carts back in from the course, PMC President John Stiffler and Secretary-Treasurer Bryan Powell conducted the council’s annual awards ceremony. This year’s honorees included Gary Payeur of Insulators Local 1, Dr. John Gaal of the Missouri AFL-CIO’s Worker Wellness Program, and St. Louis Fire Department Chief Dennis M. Jenkerson.
Whether parades, banquets, golf outings, or a combination of all the above, MTD’s Port Maritime Councils provide opportunities for labor communities around the United States and Canada to come together in fellowship. We look forward to sharing in our councils’ successful programming for the remainder of 2024.