Ticker Tape Parade Honors Essential Workers, But There's More Work to be Done

On Wednesday, New York City held a ticker-tape parade to honor the essential workers who helped the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hometown Heroes Parade kicked off at 11 a.m. along a stretch of downtown Manhattan known as the Canyon of Heroes, which has hosted parades for over a century. Thousands turned out to express their gratitude as fourteen platforms carried essential workers including healthcare, child care, transportation, sanitation, delivery, retail and utility workers, teachers, and others along the route. Sandra Lindsay, a Queens nurse who made history as the first person in the U.S. to get a COVID vaccine, led the parade as grand marshal. Check out more photos from the parade route here.

While many unions and their members turned out for the event, others declined to participate, citing the continuing obstacles that many essential workers have faced including failures to provide hazard pay and achieve pay equity.

"Our City's essential workers risked their own safety and health to get us through the pandemic, and continue to work tirelessly for their fellow New Yorkers even as we begin to emerge from this long crisis," said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. "Today, as we express our profound gratitude, let's also recommit to making sure these workers are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness each and every day."