More than 200,000 visitors from the Great Lakes region recently converged on Cleveland’s I-X Center to see and hear how the nation’s union workers produce the goods and services that make life better for all Americans on a daily basis.
The event was the 2006 AFL-CIO America at Work Show. Sponsored by the AFL-CIO Union Label and Service Trades Department, the May 5-7 event showcased the latest in union-made-in-the-USA products including autos and accessories, motorcycles, hardware, clothing, sporting goods and furniture. Also featured were baked goods and groceries, appliances and housewares.
Visitors had an opportunity to interact with airline pilots and travel professionals, air traffic controllers, makeup artists, cake decorators, heavy equipment operators and others from a myriad of different professions.The SIU and its affiliated United Industrial Workers (UIW) shared a booth promoting both organizations as well as their respective contracted companies.
Overall, hundreds of exhibits— which together covered more than 400,000 square feet of floor space—were available to afford visitors an up-close look at a wide range of union occupations and the skills and training required to perform those jobs. Show-goers also talked with skilled workers in various crafts and trades along with the men and women who serve as instructors in dozens of union apprenticeship and training programs.
More than $1 million in products and services were given away during the three-day show. Among big-ticket products and services that were handed out to visitors as prizes was the SIU/UIW grand prize—an all-expense-paid seven-day Hawaii cruise for two, which was donated by SIU-contracted NCL America. Other high-priced prizes included a top-of-the-line Harley Davidson motorcycle; new cars from Ford and DaimlerChrysler; groceries, tools, household goods and refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers.
UIW-contracted companies that provided products to be placed on display and for giveaways during raffles were: Bron Shoe and Franklin International of Columbus, Ohio; Church and Dwight from London, Ohio; Kroger of Delaware, Ohio; Sealy Mattress of Williamsport, Md.; Juanita’s Foods of Wilmington, Calif.; Cott Beverages, USA of San Bernardino, Calif.; The Queen Mary Hotel of Long Beach, Calif.; La Victoria Foods of Rosemead, Calif. and Del Monte of Terminal Island, Calif.
“In my view, the show was a total success,” said UIW National Director John Spadaro, who worked the event from start to finish. “Turnout was impressive each day and the people were extremely friendly and courteous.
“A lot of visitors stopped by our booth and asked questions about the unions and the SIU- and UIW-contracted companies where many of our brothers and sisters work,” Spadaro continued. “Hopefully the responses we provided someday might influence them to become involved in the union movement.”
“It was truly an extraordinary show,” said Charles Mercer, president of the AFL-CIO Union Label and Service Trades Department. “Attendance was good all three days, but we really were surprised by the turnout we had on Sunday. It was a beautiful day in Cleveland, the NBA playoffs were on television, but throngs of people still came out. We all were very pleased.”
Mercer added that the event’s exhibitors were amazed by the high level of interest visitors displayed at this year’s event. “The exhibitors I spoke with said this show was perhaps the best we’ve had in recent years,” Mercer said. “According to them, visitors really got involved in the activities this year. They stopped by booths, asked exhibitors thought-provoking questions and generally demonstrated a keen interest in what was going on. This made for a unique experience for the exhibitors.”
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