Local 727 Calls for Fair Treatment of Immigrant Workers on May Day
Today, May 1st, known as May Day or International Workers’ Day, is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the hard-won rights workers have achieved throughout the years. May Day has its origins right here in Chicago when on May 4, 1886, violence broke out at a workers’ strike. The events of that day became known as the Haymarket Affair and eventually led to the establishment of the eight-hour workday.
Since the time of the Haymarket Affair, unions across the country have made great strides in securing and protecting the rights of all workers. Recently, however, unions and workers have come under attack. Not only have anti-union Right-to-Work laws threatened the future of unions and their ability to safeguard workers’ rights, but the Trump administration’s assault on immigrant communities have spurred the rise of discriminatory labor practices.
“May Day reminds us of the power we wield when we stand united. Together we can affect change and together we can demand an end to discrimination of any kind,” said John Coli Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 727. “We must remember on this day all the blood and sweat that has been shed for workers’ rights. We cannot give up the fight now.”
Last year on May Day, Local 727 rallied and marched with thousands of others from Union Park through downtown Chicago to highlight, among other issues, the need to protect immigrant workers’ rights.
Category: Politics, Union News
