The Owensboro Area Central Labor Council held its 36th annual Labor Day Picnic on Monday at English Park, bringing together union members, retirees, families, and community supporters for a day steeped in both tradition and advocacy.
Organizers said the picnic is about more than food and fellowship. They said it’s also about honoring the working men and women who built the nation, along with continuing the fight for fair labor protections.
“This is our holiday. This honors anybody who works,” said co-organizer Donna Haynes, a retired member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Council’s financial and recording secretary. “History is very important to me. I don’t want people to forget … Labor has built this country. Now, the bigwigs in Washington and Frankfort, they think we don’t matter. We do matter.”
Haynes said she first gained her appreciation for the labor movement through classes on its history. One in particular that focused on coal miners stuck with her.
“It showed coal miners fighting (hard). A lot of them died because they were treated like third-class citizens, and they fought and they won,” she said. “We need to remember that. We need to protect that. We need to keep fighting for that. I’ll fight till I can’t fight anymore.”
The Owensboro area is home to roughly 30 labor unions, Haynes said, representing steelworkers, electricians, laborers, carpenters, and more. But she worries about the future of organized labor.
“Unfortunately, our numbers have dropped so much, and a big reason is they’re listening to the wrong people,” she said. “This country can’t survive without organized labor. I truly believe that with all my heart and soul.”
The picnic also featured the Council’s presentation of the J.R. Gray Labor Person of the Year award, given annually in honor of the longtime state representative and former Kentucky Labor Cabinet Secretary. The recognition highlights individuals dedicated to preserving and promoting the rights of the region’s workforce.
This year’s award went to Bobby Peirson, a retired steelworker who spent three decades at United States Steel Corporation and later worked for the International Union.
“I was 18 years old when I walked into Green River Steel, and it was mostly at that time World War II veterans, mine workers, people who’d been up north,” Peirson said. “As a young kid, you think you know everything. I did, until they sat down and explained to me how a union works and why we do the things that we do in solidarity.”
He said veteran workers shared stories of the 1959 nationwide steel strike, which lasted 180 days, and impressed upon him the value of solidarity and sacrifice.
“They said, ‘Look at this contract, boy. Thirty years from now, this is what you can be drawing at the age of 48.’ I said, I don’t even know if I’m going to live 30 years or not,” Peirson said. “They said you will if you stay with us, because we’re going to fight for safety, we’re going to fight for rights, we’re going to fight for dignity on the job.”
Peirson said those lessons shaped his career and his leadership. He said he always tried to carry those values into his work with the International Union, even when he fell short.
“I always tried, failed sometimes, but always tried to do the very best that I could do for the members, because I remember where I came from,” he said. “Why did I remember that? Because my dad and other guys told me where we got these benefits.”
Peirson said the award was deeply meaningful and urged attendees to continue carrying the labor movement forward.
“I want to thank every one of you for being here. I want to thank the Council for this award. This really, really means so much to me,” he said. “Anybody can tell a bad story about the union. I can tell you bad stories about the union. The bigger picture is to say a good word about the union and bring your brothers and sisters into the fold. Let’s take this country back to where we need to be.”
