This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Magna • The 15th Annual Labor Day picnic was pure Americana — like something out of a Disney movie, with American flags, hotdogs and hamburgers and classic cars.
It had to be the only place in town where a 1934 Packard was parked next to a 1968 Dodge Charger — just steps from a 1970 Plymouth Duster.
Magna Copper Park swarmed with kids (and their parents) who were beyond excited about the climbing wall, the balloons and the treats.
"Gimme my candy!" one little girl shouted at a sibling while her mother looked on in parental exasperation.
"This place is too crazy for me!" exclaimed 7-year-old Austin Tso of Magna, who nonetheless had a huge grin on his face after going down the giant, inflatable slide that included a giant, inflatable shark. "That looks scary and stuff, but I like sharks."
Over at the horseshoe pit, the two men throwing in opposite directions — in side-by-side pits — created a bit of consternation. "I hope you're a better thrower than he is!" shouted a third man.
Not to worry. No one was injured.
The picnic also gave Utah's labor unions a chance to raise its banners. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 354 over here. The Pipefitters, Plumbers, HVAC & R Local 140 over there.
Turn around and there was the Iron Workers Local 354, just across the way from the Sheet Metal Workers Local 312. Just to name a few.
There were plenty of people at Magna Copper Park celebrating a day off from work and school, but Labor Day dates back to the 19th century — the first Monday in September was first designated to honor the American labor movement in 1887.
"It's all about families and the community getting together and supporting each other," said Greg Donaldson, an executive board member of IBEW Local 354. "It's about the community and letting people know that the unions are still strong."
Mike McDonald, the business manager of Iron Workers Local 354, echoed those sentiments.
"We want people to understand that it's for the community," he said. "Whether they belong to the union or whether they don't, they can be a part of it. If we intend to grow, we've got to show these other people we want them to be part of it."
But it's also a chance to remind people that "being a union member has a lot of pluses," said Donaldson. "Union labor represents a good, quality job — on time and under budget. That's what we work for.
"Companies, they make plenty of money. They always have plenty of money for the top executives, but they fail to dish it out to the little guys. And this is just a celebration to become more united and to get together and mingle with families."
Twitter @ScottDPierce