Thousands of people, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, are expected to participate in the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition’s 47th annual Solidarity Parade and Picnic Rally Monday in Wilmington.
What organizers bill as one of the nation’s largest Labor Day parades is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Broad Avenue and E Street, go west on E Street to Avalon Boulevard, continue north on Avalon Boulevard to M Street, concluding at Banning Park.
A picnic is set to begin at 11 a.m. at Banning Park. The rally is set for 11:30 a.m. with labor guest speakers and an introduction of elected officials, organizers said.
The rally will include one speaker each from Starbucks Workers United and a SoCalGas employee represented by the Utility Workers of Union of America, Local 132, Kristal Romero, the press secretary of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, told City News Service.
Starbucks Workers United on Aug. 25 began asking customers to sign a pledge to boycott the coffee chain or using corporate catering until an agreement is reached.
The union’s demands include raising the pay of the lowest-paid union baristas to $17 per hour, having at least three workers scheduled on the floor at all times “to serve customers, make drinks, and secure our store,” and having available hours go to current baristas before hiring new workers “so we can get the hours we need to qualify for benefits and pay our bills,” according to the union, which was formed in 2021 and is negotiating with the company on a contract.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson told The Seattle Times, “As we have always been, we’re committed to engaging in productive bargaining.”
SoCalGas workers are trying to stop the outsourcing of call center jobs abroad, Romero said.
Labor Day, the yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the nation’s strength, prosperity and well-being, was first celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City.
In 1887, Oregon became the first state to formally recognize Labor Day. By 1894, 31 of the then-44 states had made Labor Day a holiday when Congress passed a bill designating the first Monday in September a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and territories.
“While Labor Day evokes images of hot dogs and the end of summer, it also serves as a real reminder of how much working people must speak out and organize for dignity and respect on the job,” Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, told City News Service.
“The best way to spend Labor Day is to celebrate everyday working people. In an era when working people increasingly feel the squeeze from billionaires and corporate greed, Labor Day is a powerful reminder of the power working people possess when we come together to fight for better conditions for all.”