Workers Rally On May Day and Workers Memorial Day

 

A May Day picket line so large it had to fill both sides of the street in front of New Haven's Omni Hotel sent a strong message to the bargaining table. Workers are negotiating a new contract, and they are demanding pay increases and a reversal of staffing cuts made during the pandemic.

"On this May Day workers at the Omni are calling for the hotel industry to "Respect Our Work"!” said Unite Here Local 217.

“We are fighting for a new contract and have the community with us all the way! We were joined by our allies in UNITE HERE Local 33, 34, and 35, New Haven Rising. When we fight we win!"

“If we don't get it, shut it down,” and other chants filled the air as drums kept the beat. The lively picket line lasted an hour on busy downtown New Haven Temple Street.

Unite Here hotel workers rallied in 18 cities on May Day as contract negotiations get underway with national chains.

Three days earlier on April 28 the Connecticut AFL CIO held its annual Workers Memorial Day ceremony at the state capitol honoring workers who have died or suffered illness or injuries on the job.

In Connecticut, 34 workers lost their lives to work-related injuries in 2022, the latest data available. An additional 35,700 workers suffered on-the-job injuries or illnesses.

According to the AFL-CIO’s annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 5,486 workers nationally were killed on the job and an estimated 120,000 workers died from occupational diseases in 2022. That means 344 workers died each day from job-related injuries and illnesses.

Each year on April 28 the sacrifices made by these workers and the families left behind are remembered and honored.

Connecticut AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne called on those assembled to take inspiration and work harder on behalf of all workers.

Remarks by Attorney General William Tong focused on his leadership with other Attorneys General in suing the Sackler family for their responsibility in the opiod crisis that had affected thousands of workers. Sen. Saud Anwar received the Health and Safety Legislative Award for his work in the General Assembly.

Four high school students presented their winning essays on health and safety on the job.

On Saturday, May 4 at 5 pm the Connecticut People's World annual May Day rally and celebration will be held at 37 Howe Street in New Haven themed "Unite and Fight" featuring greetings from the ongoing union struggles and victories.