Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 32 toss candy to observers at Lima’s Labor Day parade Monday.
Charlotte Caldwell | The Lima News
LIMA — The Lima Labor Day parade made its way down North Main Street again this year with 34 organizations represented, according to organizer Chris Rader.
One of the unions that participated was UAW Local 1219, and president Jeff Adams said they had a record turnout of their members participating in the parade at around 100 people.
“It’s something to celebrate. Labor sets the tone for the pay and wages in the country, so it’s very important we do this,” Adams said about Labor Day and the parade.
Besides emphasizing the importance of laborers and unions, the parade also highlighted and brought together the youth of the surrounding communities, as shown by the participation of Elida Boy Scout Troop 84.
“They like the camaraderie. We’re the Elida troop but we’ve got kids from Bath and Shawnee so it gives them an opportunity to meet other scouts in the community and do a fun event together,” said Scoutmaster Chad Bryan. “They enjoy showing their citizenship by carrying the American flag.
“The time of the year the parade happens is great for us because it lets the community know that scouting is still out there, schools are starting up, so it’s a great time for us to promote our program and hopefully get more kids involved,” Bryan said.
Rader, the business manager of Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 329, walked in and helped organize the parade this year after former parade organizer Diana Diller died in November 2023. While he said there were plenty of volunteers to help if something went wrong and the parade went smoothly, one thing he would do differently is start organizing it earlier.
“I don’t believe we quite understood just how much early effort Diana Diller was doing when it came to organizing the parade and reaching out to people who might be interested in participating in the parade.
“I feel very good about having all of the workers having their work recognized, and to recognize volunteers who may be doing things quietly, such as Diana Diller, because those contributions go unnoticed. Everyone takes that for granted because it happens year after year and there’s a lot of work that gets done behind the scenes,” Rader said.
He also credited Chris Henderson for making the parade fun as he was the master of ceremonies for the second year. Henderson is the owner of Steady Does It Mechanical Services LLC and a member of UA Local 776, a union for plumbers, pipefitters and service technicians.
Diller’s sisters, Joyce Dunham and Alice Diller, Diller’s niece, Josie Long, and Diller’s great-niece, Harper Long, were the grand marshals of the parade. Alice said she often helped her sister with the behind-the-scenes work, like putting folders together, opening letters and copying pages.
“Whatever way I could help her I would,” Alice said. “It was very important to her. She enjoyed participating in different labor activities. There was one year where they couldn’t get the parade off the ground and that was a big disappointment.”
The Diller family is no stranger to labor organizations: the sisters’ father was involved in a union; Alice was involved in a teacher’s union; and Diana served on the West Central Ohio Central Labor Council. Based on these experiences, “I know how important the labor movement is,” Alice said.
Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.
