Teamsters Display Their "Colores' with Pride at the 51st Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade

In near record-breaking heat, members of Teamsters Locals 237 and 901 — the latter called “Tronquistas,” headquartered in Puerto Rico — came together June 8 on Manhattan’s majestic Fifth Avenue to march in the 51st Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. For the first time, Local 901 President Germán Vasquez was joined by a contingent of more than 20 members from Puerto Rico.

“As we celebrate the contributions of Puerto Ricans to the culture and economy of this great city, we also acknowledge their role as city employees and union activists whose loyal work ethic and committed solidarity is a credit to the labor movement,” said President Gregory Floyd, who, along with the union’s executive board, led the combined contingent of more than 200 Teamsters

This year, parade planners gave salute to unions by selecting Dennis Rivera as Grand Marshall. Rivera, chair of the health care division of Employees International Union, is a longtime labor leader who was born in Puerto Rico.

A week before the parade, voters Puerto Rico took center stage in the Democratic primary that delivered an overwhelming but brief victory to Sen. Hillary Clinton. Puerto Rico has 63 voting delegates to the Democratic presidential nominating convention, based on a population of almost four million.

Although Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, the 2.5 million registered voters on the island have no vote in Congress or for the presidency, due to the island’s status as a commonwealth — just short of statehood. But Puerto Ricans who live here on the mainland and are registered voters may vote in the upcoming general election.

The Teamsters contingent, including retirees and children, proved they could take the heat at nearly 100-degrees while energetically cheering and waving Puerto Rican flags to the tune of a 60-piece Panamanian International Marching Band, imported from Brooklyn. More than 2 million spectators lined the parade route from 44th to 86th Streets, cheering and waving flags as well…. Oh, and dripping with sweat.

Wisely, the Teamsters — dressed in sharp new red-white-and-blue T-shirts displaying both the United States and Puerto Rican flags — were well prepared with bottled water and brown-bag lunches, provided by Local 237.