ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe said that despite the stories about its demise, the Labor Movement
is alive and well and fighting for the rights of all workers.
Hundreds of Southern California ILWU members joined with thousands Southern California workers and their families to celebrate Labor Day at the 34th annual Labor Solidarity March and Picnic in the working class city of Wilmington, CA. Over three dozen unions from all over Los Angeles County were represented.
Labor Day Breakfast
The celebration began at the Local 13 Dispatch Hall where a team of ILWU volunteers served up a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and breakfast burritos. This harbor-area Labor Day tradition began 13 years ago as a way to encourage participation in the march and served approximately 30 people a breakfast of tamales and bagels. Now the breakfast serves over 1,500 people and is as much a part of Labor Day as the parade and picnic.
The people’s parade
The parade started at 10 a.m. at Broad and E Streets. Workers walked proudly behind union banners and flags with their families, accompanied by area high school marching bands, motorcycle clubs, and classic cars. They were led by a flatbed trailer of ILWU pensioners as the march made its way up Avalon Blvd towards Banning Park for a noon rally and picnic.
Workers and their families were treated to hot dogs, hamburgers and plenty of cold water to help beat the heat that approached triple digits.
‘The labor movement is alive and well’
ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe was one of the featured speakers at the rally. He said that the labor movement was alive and well and would continue the fight for all working people.
“A strong labor movement means strong communities,” Familathe said. “Joining a union shouldn’t continue to be as difficult as it is—the Port Truck drivers are fighting this week, fast food workers across the country work hard and only make minimum wage. Look at the balance sheets of corporations.
They are making record profits but all they do is cry poverty as they push wages down on workers who are struggling to make ends meet. The ILWU is going to continue to work with unions everywhere to make sure that workers get a better deal.”