SMART-TD Pride on Full Display for Labor Day 2025

September 12, 2025

Whether on the streets of Charlotte, in the dry Nevada heat, or somewhere in between, SMART-TD members were out in full force during Labor Day weekend! 

SMART-TD Local 1715 Participates in First Parade While Local 195 Continues Annual Tradition

Our brothers and sisters with Local 1715 (Charlotte, NC) participated in the city’s Labor Day Parade for the first time.

Local 1715 brothers and sisters prepare to march in the Charlotte Labor Day Parade

Organized by Interim General Chairperson and President Virginia Walker and Safety & Legislative Representative Gia Lockhart, the members are looking to build off the success of this year’s event and grow participation even more in 2026.  

This was Local 1715’s first time participating in the city’s Labor Day Parade

To the west, SMART-TD members in Local 195 (Galesburg, IL) turned out in full force for their community’s annual Labor Day Parade, which is the longest continuously running Labor Day Parade in the United States.

Local 195 (Galesburg, IL) continues its annual Labor Day Parade tradition

This is a popular event and one that always draws strong participation from SMART-TD.  

Nevada’s LaborFest and Eastern Idaho State Fair Showcase SMART-TD 

On the West Coast, SMART-TD had strong representation at Nevada’s annual LaborFest.

From left to right: SMART-TD Local 1043 member Chris Hess, Nevada State Attorney General Aaron Ford, SMART-TD Nevada State Legislative Director Gabe Christenson, SMART-TD Local 1043 S & T Steve Magee, and SMART-TD Local 1043 Local Chairman Jim Becker

Hosted by the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, the Nevada State AFL-CIO, and other affiliated unions, the popular community event takes place in Reno and doubles as a job fair for people looking to join a union. 
 
SMART-TD’s LaborFest booth provided lots of information about our union for visitors, including details about Operation RedBlock and the importance of promoting awareness around the tracks.

SMART-TD staffing its LaborFest booth in Reno, NV

To the north at the Eastern Idaho State Fair, SMART-TD took a proactive approach by distributing literature about rail safety and crossing awareness to the public while also staffing the union booth to help educate visitors on the importance of unions and the benefits of belonging to SMART-TD.

Sharing the benefits of union membership with the public at the Eastern Idaho State Fair

Thank you to all of our brothers and sisters across the country who ensured that our union was well-represented at your community’s Labor Day events!