Overview
- The parade returned to the Southeast Side and stepped off from 112th and Ewing, drawing dozens of unions, floats and families to Steelworkers Park for Eddie Fest.
- Eddie Fest, held after the march, honored Edward "Oilcan" Sadlowski with live music, vendors and community events that celebrated the city’s steelworker history.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson attended and publicly voiced support for workers’ right to organize, telling attendees they should not face intimidation when forming unions.
- The event coincided with active labor campaigns in the city, including ongoing hotel worker and nurse strikes and a rideshare drivers’ signature drive to pursue collective bargaining with Uber and Lyft.
- City and federal agencies increased holiday safety measures, with the U.S. Coast Guard and Chicago police stepping up patrols and the city deploying extra officers and emergency-management resources.