DETROIT—Roughly
1,000 “Workers over Billionaires” marches and protests were held
across the country on Labor Day to oppose the billionaire-backed
Trump administration’s attacks on workers, their unions, and their
families. The actions across the country included large
demonstrations in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and workers
actually walking off the job and striking in Houston and Grand Blanc,
Michigan.
Labor
leaders around the country spoke out against the capitalist class and
their bought-and-paid-for political cronies in Washington, D.C. for
“rigging the government and economy” against workers—immigrant
and non-immigrant, organized and unorganized—the dismantling of
trade union rights, collective bargaining agreements, job safety
programs, as well as cuts to renewable energy jobs, Medicaid and
critical institutions for workers such as the National Labor
Relations Board.
“This
is a government that is by, and for, the CEOs and billionaires,”
declared AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler at a massive Labor Day march in
Los Angeles.
At
Detroit’s Labor Day march and rally, several thousand trade
unionists and their allies marched down Michigan Avenue to the
historic Michigan Central Station in Corktown. The Michigan Building
Trades Council, along with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Service
Employees (SEIU) were flanked by the Teamsters, Nurses, Letter
Carriers, Teachers, Firefighters, Government Employees, Postal
Workers, and a hundreds-strong “Labor for Palestine” contingent.
Shawn
Fain, president of the UAW, spoke out fiercely against rampant
corporate greed, so-called “free-trade deals,” and the
billionaire corruption of our political system.
Connecticut
Labor
Day in Connecticut kicked off on Friday as the annual Labor Day
Breakfast hosted by the Connecticut AFL-CIO, filled the Operating
Engineers hall in Hamden with scores of union members and leaders,
allies and elected officials. The IAM, CWA, Marine Draftsmen and
1199 spoke of their recent strike struggles and victories and called
for solidarity in the face of escalating attacks against the right to
a union.
Following
the breakfast, a press conference with Sen Richard Blumenthal
magnified the message. Pledging to fight for workers' rights and
calling for mass protests, Blumenthal said, “It is unprecedented
in the history of the United States of America that so many rights
and protections have been rolled back, lawlessly and recklessly, to
the detriment not only of the working people directly affected, but
also their families and other workers. Eliminating collective
bargaining rights is not only illegal, it’s immoral.”
“President
Trump is attempting to silence workers because he knows when workers
have a voice, they’ll push back against his authoritarian agenda,”
said CT AFL CIO president Ed Hawthorne. “But he’s not going to
win this fight, because the American people know that union workers
in the labor movement don’t just stick up for ourselves, but fight
for everyone.”
New
Haven Federation of Teachers president Leslie Blatteau emphasized,
“Schools are the pathways to opportunity and the building blocks of
a just society. That’s why we are collectively demanding that all
elected officials stand with workers and students, not billionaires.”
On
Monday, the teachers joined other unions and community leaders with
CT for All to knock on the doors of working families in the town of
Meriden.
Across
the state dozens of Workers over Billionaires protests were held
from New London to Stamford with the largest at the State Capitol
organized by Indivisible and 50501.
Chicago
In
Chicago, over 5,000 workers rallied at the Haymarket Monument,
then
marched for three miles including at Valor Equity Partners, headed
by Antonio Gracias, who heads the DOGE Immigration Task Force, and
Target in support of the Target boycott.
On
Labor Day, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) joined the
national boycott call of Target after the Chicago Teachers Union
(CTU-AFT Local 1) passed a resolution last week, joining the
boycott.
“This
movement comes at a crucial moment—when American workers find
themselves at the whim of billionaires and board rooms that are more
invested in money over people,” said Randi Weingarten, president of
the AFT, at the Chicago demonstration.
Chicago
Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union member and
shop steward, spoke out with a call for “No Troops in Chicago”
which the crowd shouted back to him. Then “Invest in Chicago”
which the crowd of workers and their allies also chanted back.
Rev.
Jamal Bryant flew in from Atlanta to be with the workers in Chicago,
he said, indicating that the struggle is a national fight. He said he
wanted to support the “most fearless leader in America,” the
mayor of Chicago.
“If
you want to fight for safety, don’t send in the National Guard—send
in the teachers,” said Bryant. He highlighted the inequity when ICE
agents make more than teachers. He then excoriated Target, which is
on the receiving end of a national boycott for reneging on their
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies after Trump got reelected.
“When
you mess with our workers,” he said, “you mess with America.”
He pointed out that the price of Target shares had dropped and the
CEO was compelled to resign. He then went on to call the giant
corporations Target and Tesla “enemies of the people.”
“We
reject a billionaire’s attack on our city, taking from Medicaid and
education,” said Stacey Davis Gates, President of the CTU.
“Solidarity is the antidote to white supremacy…Lincoln didn’t
free us, we freed ourselves, workers! We built the United States as
we’ve known it and now workers will protect it.”
Many
religious and community organizations also joined the rally and
march, including the Chicago Club of the CPUSA. Elected officials,
city council members, Congress members, Cook County Commissioners,
State Senators, and State Representatives were also present.
Houston
In
Houston, hotel workers organized with Unite HERE Local 23 launched a
first-ever hotel strike at Hilton America’s in Texas, demanding a
basic $23 an hour minimum wage, safety improvements, more staffing,
and better quality food, among other demands.
“Last
year, Hilton America’s revenue increased by more than 15% to $3
billion,” the union said. “But workers are still struggling to
make ends meet…We will be on the picket lines for 9 days to demand
better wages because one job should be enough!”
“The
workers are feeling this need urgently, so that’s why the decision
was made,” said Franchesca Caraballo, President of Unite Here Local
23. “We have to take it up several notches here to turn up the
pressure on this company.”
