Union workers and supporters march in Philadelphia's Labor Day parade

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - The Philadelphia Labor day parade brought thousands of union workers and supporters out in force.

READ MORE: Union members and supporters march in Philadelphia's annual Labor Day parade

They danced, marched, chanted and yes pushed some political agendas While celebrating the work they put in to support their families.

But Labor day and the parade associated with it meant different things to different people. For some labor day is just the end of the summer, some are making their way back from the shore, some were just celebrating a day off but at the labor day parade forget about today many were happy that tomorrow is a day on

Union worker Will Rice told us that before joining a union he was disappointed in the lack of resources in his community.

"A lot of time the community is broken because they don't pull together or they don't have nobody to keep people together and try to help each other."

Sure, Will and others were happy to celebrate but they were more reflective of how they say unions changed them.

"It completely changed my life because they were about what I was about an honest dollar and family."

Will says he was out there struggling like so many to provide for his family so today he celebrated stability. Keith Murphy's story was different, he celebrated opportunity.

"Man I had a rough life, I was incarcerated and when I got out of incarceration I didn't have any employment."

His message today was meant to inspire anyone with bad choices or circumstances in their past.

"There's a chance out here, you can change, it changed my life and if it can change me it can change anybody."

That sentiment was shared by Will Copeland who has managed to turn his life around after some serious economic challenges

"I lived with my parents, with two kids just trying to be able to provide for them just a little bit"

His Labor Day second chance story was about family

I went from making barely anything working second shift, not seeing my kids let alone my wife to moving out and moving on."

Clearly there are plenty of people who take issue with unions for various reasons but today is labor day. So the point is look deeper than just the beach, just the day off and just the parade. Look into the people who enjoyed a day off while being so thankful for the next day on. For Goodness Sake