Despite intermittent rain and gray, overcast skies, Winnipeg union activists celebrated Labour Day with a march and family barbecue Monday.

“It’s a day for workers, it’s a day of rest and a day for families,” said Basia Sokal, president of the Winnipeg Labour Council organizer of the march which began at Memorial Park across the street from the Manitoba Legislature and made its way down Broadway to Vimy Ridge Park.

“It’s important for people to recognize that labour is doing things in the community,” she added. “When you see people on strike, that isn’t just fighting for their own members. Unions bring up the standards for everybody so it’s important for the community to recognize that.”

“Labour Day is an incredibly important day, we’re standing united to celebrate victories labour has made, the struggles that we’ve fought and the gains that we’ve made along the way,” said Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck. “We recently were successful in getting CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) expansion for all Canadians and that’s something we’re quite proud of and we want to push forward. Now we’re also pushing for a pharmacare plan for all Canadians.”

Rebeck called on the federal government to create a national pharmacare plan and for the Pallister government to support labour’s push. But Rebeck isn’t holding his breath waiting on the Tories to climb on board.

“Any time we’re pushing the federal government, we need the province to be partners,” said Rebeck. “(But) We’re frustrated with the political climate in Manitoba today. This government doesn’t seem to want to be a partner with labour. We’re willing to work with this government but time and again they seem to have an agenda that they seem to be pushing forward that we’re challenging them on.”

Among those taking part in the march was Sandy Mohamed, wearing her picket sign as a member of the United Steelworkers local 4297 which have been locked out by their employer since Aug. 24.

“Labour Day is kind of ironic considering that we’re locked out,” said Mohamed, who has worked at PTI Manitoba Inc., for 13 years.

“Hopefully (she’ll feel the solidarity with other union members) because right now you feel very alone on the picket line. How people manage to survive on their incomes, I don’t know because there is no income.”

gdawkins@postmedia.com

Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins