Union members mark Labor Day just a little bit late

Union members feast at a fish fry on Friday. Plates were available to go or could be picked up and delivered to members who couldn't pick them up in person.
Union members feast at a fish fry on Friday. Plates were available to go or could be picked up and delivered to members who couldn't pick them up in person.

TEXARKANA - Workers lined up Friday to claim fried-fish plates at a fish fry intended to honor them. This is the annual Labor Day Fish Fry the union members of United Steelworkers Local 752L enjoy. Usually it is held on the holiday, but this year the pandemic prevented that. So they made different arrangements.

"This year, we did it differently," said Kerry Halter, union president. "Usually, we rent the entertainment area at Four States Fairgrounds and take all the equipment and supplies out there and do it up on Labor Day. So this year, we took two Fridays in September, the 18th and the 25th, and cooked the fish up there at the union hall. We fed two of the crews each Friday, making sure all four were covered. They came out to the hall to get a plate or take one back to those who could not leave their position in the factory."

About 1,500 workers in total were fed at the union hall over the two Fridays.

"We have done fish fries like this before," said Halter, "But not on the Labor Day Fish Fry and not in 15 years."

The next fish fry USW Local 752L will put on will be their Annual Fish Fry to honor police, firemen, emergency service workers, first responders. The honorees eat for free; everyone else is $10 a plate. The proceeds go to United Way. This takes place 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at local union hall, across the street from Cooper Tire.

(For more information, call 903-794-3105 or 903-293-4970 or email [email protected].)

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