John J. Murphy, who has roots in Co Tipperary and Co Cork, will lead the 2024 Labor Day Parade in Manhattan on Saturday, September 7.
A fourth-generation union plumber in the City of New York, John was born in the Bronx, raised in Yonkers, and is now a resident of Westchester. His mother's side has roots in Co Tipperary and his father's side has roots in Co Cork; his family immigrated to the US from Ireland in the late 1800s.
John was initiated into the membership of the former United Association (UA) Local 2, the home Local of George Meany, in January of 1984.
After completing his Apprenticeship, John worked in various capacities of the plumbing industry in both the private and public sectors.
In 1996, he was elected as union Recording Secretary and has since been elected as a Business Agent, Financial Secretary-Treasurer, and Business Manager, a position that he held until his unanimous elections as a UA International Representative in 2016 and 2021.
His duties as International Representative include representing 13 UA plumbing, pipefitting, welding, steamfitting, and sprinklerfitting local unions in New York with more than 24,000 members.
John is also Vice-President of the New York City Central Labor Council, New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the New York State AFL-CIO.
He serves on the boards of NYS Helmets to Hardhats, Climate Jobs NY, Climate Jobs National Resource Center, the Workers Institute Advisory Council at Cornell University, and the Cornell Climate Jobs Advisory Board.
John has also served as a Board Member of both the Edward J. Malloy Construction Skills Initiative and Nontraditional Employment for Women.
John asserts that the virtues many take for granted — a decent wage, family medical coverage, a safe work environment, and a defined pension plan — are under attack every day.
On Saturday morning, September 7, tens of thousands of New Yorkers, representing more than 200 unions, will come together in celebration of solidarity on New York City's famed Fifth Avenue for the 142 Labor Day Parade.
The theme of this year’s parade is “All Workers, Many Voices, One Fight,” underscoring the unity among NYC workers and union members from diverse backgrounds as they advocate for better conditions and fair treatment.
Comments