Many Montanans spent Labor Day relaxing. But in Great Falls, a group of union workers gathered at Montana ExpoPark to mark the holiday the way they say it was meant to be marked — by remembering why it exists.
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"Let's get the party started," said Jack McBroom, council chair of the Central Montana Central Labor Council, kicking off the 2026 Labor Day Picnic.
McBroom says the council is committed to growing the event.
"Welcome to the 2026 Central Labor Committee Labor Day picnic. We're going to do this for the next three years. Everybody get prepared. We're putting momentum in this," McBroom said.
Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 — the result of decades of organizing by workers who pushed for protections like an eight-hour workday, safe working conditions, and the right to fair wages. The Central Montana Central Labor Council, made up of local unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO, gathered to mark the occasion and bring together union members from across the trades.
"It's great to help others and help other unions. The electricians, the laborers, the carpenters, you know, plumbers, pipefitters, all of them, because it takes all kinds of labor to make the world go round," said JD Olsen, recording secretary for Teamsters Local 2.
For many at the picnic, the holiday is deeply personal. The rights celebrated today — a 40-hour workweek, sick leave, overtime pay — were not always guaranteed. They were won over generations of labor activism, and some say the history behind them is easy to forget.
"I grew up in a union family. My grandfather worked for the smelter. He worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day. No sick leave and vacation. There were men that fought and died for the principles. And that's what we get to work with today. With a 40-hour workweek, with sick leave, and vacation, with time and a half. And this is something we still need to fight for," said Rina Fontana Moore, a member at large of the Central Labor Council.
That sense of history drew people from across the community to the event — including the man providing the live music.
"It's very important for me to attend the event, because it is a celebration of our labor and a reminder of our rights that we've had throughout the years," said Steve Keller, leader of the band performing at the picnic.
The Central Montana Central Labor Council says it plans to host the picnic for at least the next three years. The event featured free food and beverages, live music, and yard games open to the public.
