Please come to order.

I'm gonna ask uh I could have your attention.

I'm gonna ask the uh Vice Mayor to preside while I join our friends recognizes Council Member Keenan for a proclamation recognizing unions in celebration of Labor Day.

Are you seeing are you?

Are you all right?

Sir Alwin?

We got it.

We got all our friends here, Mayor.

In honor of Labor Day, uh, we're bringing forward a proclamation to recognize all of our locals in Houston.

Um, how special is it that our very first evening council session, um, thanks in large part to Councilmember Castillo's leadership, uh, which is designed to give working families greater access to local government, is being held right before Labor Day, and the first proclamation we get to present is honoring those in labor.

So it is an honor uh to stand here with our locals, our frontline champions for everyday working folks.

And I'm gonna take a moment to recognize everyone standing with me, and it's gonna take a moment, but I think it's very important for us to recognize everyone in labor because they are our city.

Of course, we have Hanny with Gulf Coast AFL CIO who will be providing remarks in a moment.

We have our Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council, Plumbers Local 68, our painters, IUPAT, District 10, Pipe Fitters, IUEC.

I'm I'm skipping some of the numbers.

I apologize.

We have APOL, our firefighters, seafares, long shoreman, hope, and I gotta give a shout out to Hope for this awesome shirt, Mayor.

A woman's place is in her union.

So thank you for this limited edition.

We have SCIU Texas, IATSE, Houston Federation of Teachers, and as we go back to school, thank you to all our teachers.

CWA, am I missing anyone?

That's what I got.

All right, I got them all.

Great.

Thank you.

Uh, as many of you know, but for our public, uh, organized labor has very deep roots here in Houston, stretching back nearly two centuries, and without unions in our country, we would not have the 40-hour work week, minimum wage, paid time off, and I'll also shout out paid parental leave for all City of Houston employees, workplace health and safety regulations, employer-sponsored health insurance, and the list goes on.

And while we've made strides, there's still work to do when it comes to fairness in the workplace, especially here in Texas.

And for me, that means increasing our safety standards for workers, including at the city, ensuring fair wages and benefits for all employees, including contractors, health care across all sectors and more.

Workers across every trade deserve to be recognized because they have stepped up time and again for our city, and not just on the job, but as we all know on council and mayor through your work in times of disaster and recovery.

Folks through AFL CIO are removing trees and debris, and the list goes on, and they're also supporting our economy and making sure that Houstonians not only have living wages and health care, but access to jobs, and I encourage everyone to learn about all of the incredible apprenticeship and job training programs that our locals are putting forward.

They are absolutely incredible with state-of-the-art facilities at thank you, Paul, at no cost.

Houston's workers are the backbone of the city, and organized labor has made sure that that backbone remains strong.

So, with that, whereas Labor Day is a time-honored tradition in America, established to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and sacrifices of working people whose dedication and skill form the backbone of our economy and our communities.

Houston's proud and diverse labor movement dates back to as early as 1838, with organized labor unions now representing workers across hospitality, construction, public service, theatrical stage production, first response, countless other trades that keep our city strong, safe, and thriving.

Our unions have played a vital role in advancing fair wages, safe working conditions, and protections that safeguard not only their members, but all working families.

The collective voice of organized labor has strengthened our city by ensuring that the dignity of work is respected and that economic growth is shared by those whose efforts make it possible.

Labor Day is a celebration of these achievements and a reminder of the continued importance of solidarity, advocacy, and unity in the pursuit of justice for all workers.

The City of Houston is proud to honor the contributions of labor unions and their members whose commitment to excellence, fairness, and service reflects the very spirit of our city.

Thank you.

This is exciting.

Yeah, give it up for Councillor McCayman and the uh friends that are here today, but surely everyone knows there's thousands more, rank and file that are working as we gather here.

United here, our housekeepers, airport employees are at work, our city employees.

Oh, we wouldn't be having this evening meeting successfully without them.

So I could go through our firefighters, our certain teachers are preparing their lesson plan for tomorrow, custodians.

So we could go on and on.

This is just a great representation of the success uh of organized labor, not only in Houston, but you know our nation.

Uh we are a great nation, great state and city because of organized labor.

I certainly want to thank personally thank Labor for shape and molding me.

I can remember 1972, Amy.

Uh Rosa Walker, Don Horn, I can name Labor leaders who screened a 22-year-old college student and saw something that they could shape and mold.

And I want to thank you.

It's uh I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for organized labor.

And I'm proud to be a union member with the public employees.

So with that said, it's uh great that we come together.

I'll see you Saturday morning early.

And I would invite all of our colleagues to celebrate Labor Day with uh women in labor, and the morales certainly will get a kicked off, and then there'll be events all day long.

Paul and I were in meeting today trying to improve conditions for our employees.

So therefore, our John Whitmark mayor of the city of Houston, hereby proclaim August 28th.

As uh proclaimed September 1, 2025 is Labor Day in the City of Houston.

I've got a little ahead.