It was raining, it was pouring, and while many Pittsburghers were snoring, labor union workers filled the Boulevard of the Allies and Grant Street on Labor Day with shouts of “Who are we? We are One!” and “This is what democracy looks like!”The crowd, comprised of local union members, their families and students, acted as a support community for those participating in demonstrations for better employment standards.Chloe Callison, a freshman psychology major at Point Park University, attended the parade on Monday in support of her parents, who are a part of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) teachers union.”I heard the bagpipes and came down to take pictures because I know there are a lot of people here for a good cause,” Callison said from the sidewalk of the Boulevard.Likewise, Shawn Dugan from the North Side attended the parade in support of the fight for workers’ rights.”There are still a few people out there trying to keep our standard of living what it once was,” said Dugan, who was formerly a member of the International Association of Machinists union, from a bridge overlooking the parade on the Boulevard.”I come to support the unions. Pittsburgh is a working class town, and it’s good to support fellow workers,” Don Scholz, 41 from Sheridan, said near the stage at the end of the parade at Stanwix Street, which he helped set up. Scholz is a member of the IUE-CWA Local 88640 union, which is the Industrial Division of the Communications Workers of America.Union workers and leaders took to the stage, representing nearly 70,000 people who marched in Monday’s parade, to address the crowd on topics ranging from workers compensation to unemployment rate. Compared to the national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, the Pennsylvania unemployment is currently 7.1 percent.The parade, which was orchestrated by the Allegheny County Labor Council, featured not only union workers, but non-union workers as well. Josephine Crapis, a PSEA union worker from Sewickley, believes in the fight for all workers’ rights and enjoyed seeing a crowd of people come “together who work hard for a living.”Tara Marks of Shadyside, a member of the We Are One organization, believes unions in Pittsburgh are vital to improving the way of life for the area, not just for workers. According to Marks, who graduated from Point Park with an MBA in 2000, unions create standards for wages that fight hunger and poverty in the area.Pittsburgh’s rich labor history from the steel industry, according to Marks, is the reason why Labor Day celebrations in Pittsburgh are nationally recognized, even earning the attention of the Huffington Post in an article highlighting Labor Day parades across the nation.”Pittsburghers are great at grabbing onto history, which is why the union movement is so strong here,” Marks said.