Mayor Schember highlights Labor Day parade, summer events and school-safety reminders

Mayor Joe Schember on Thursday encouraged Erie residents to attend the city’s Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept. 1, and reminded motorists to observe school-zone and school-bus safety rules as children return to classes.

The mayor said the Labor Day parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Tenth and State streets and will finish at Perry Square. He noted that Congress established Labor Day with legislation signed by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894, and used the occasion to praise organized labor’s role in establishing the 40-hour work week, weekends, minimum wage and other worker protections.

City operations and summer recap: Schember said Erie City Hall will be closed on Labor Day. He also recapped summer events including Celebrate Erie, the Sounds of Summer series and the 814 concert series, and thanked city employees, interns and community partners for organizing recreation programs and Police Athletic League summer camps.

School-safety reminders: Schember urged motorists to slow down in school zones and said drivers must stop for school buses with red lights flashing and the stop arm deployed. "Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm activated," Schember said. He added that drivers may proceed only when the bus’s lights and arm are no longer engaged or when a physical barrier separates oncoming traffic from the stopped bus. The mayor said these steps protect children traveling to and from school.

No formal votes or policy changes were made during the remarks; the mayor closed the press conference with availability for interviews.