And the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed, and the injustice that workers endured, and the sacrifice of the martyrs.
Please welcome Chicago Federation of Labor Chaplain Father Cleet Kiley to start us off with a reflection.
O Lord, as you walked on this earth, you instructed us, seek ye first the kingdom of God and its justice.
and all the other things will follow.
Today we gather here standing on sacred ground.
This workers' monument behind us is a reminder to the world
that your kingdom of justice can break through in surprising places,
even in a hay market.
Your kingdom of justice broke through on this street
sending a message to workers around the entire world.
This was and is a rallying place for workers.
This was the scene of violent reaction,
but the sparks that scarred this very street on May 4, 1886
ignited the fight for workers' rights across the whole world.
This is holy ground, O Lord.
And from this sacred ground,
a spirit of solidarity was born
that is the lifeblood for workers in every nation today.
From this sacred ground,
the fight for social and economic justice
bursts forth once again.
From this sacred ground,
Again this morning, O Lord, like the martyrs before us, we recommit ourselves to a world where the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, those in prison are visited, the widows and the orphans are cared for, and the poor and the unhoused are embraced.
we commit ourselves on this sacred ground
to build societies
based upon a fair distribution of land
and where natural resources
are shared for the common good
from this sacred ground, O Lord
we commit ourselves again
to the fight for human dignity
of all workers
for their health, safety and welfare
From this sacred ground, again, O Lord, we take up the fight for dignified work, for living wages, for safe workplaces that respect the environment, are free from toxins, free from the extremes of heat and cold, free from the excessive surveillance of workers.
We pray today, O Lord, that you renew all our labor unions, strengthen workers worldwide this day, so that through our sacred bonds of solidarity truly, the workers of the world may unite. Amen.
Thank you for that reflection, Father Cleet. It was May, 1886, on a damp day like today, when Chicago workers gathered here.
And they made history, not just here, not just in the country, but around the world.
Please welcome Illinois Labor History Society President Mike Matika with the history of this moment.
Thank you, Don.
Alright, brothers and sisters, good morning!
We are here because in 1886, people stood for eight hours for work, eight hours for
rest, eight hours for what we do.
And to think it took 52 years to get an eight-hour day law in this nation.
That's why we come to this spot.
That's why we remember the injustice against the people who stood here.
That's why we know that blood was shed for the simple fact of an eight-hour day.
And how many people in this city, in this nation, don't get eight hours?
Or work more than eight? Or work in contingent? Or work in as temps?
The fight has not ended.
That's right.
So I ask you to stand with me.
we fight on when workers are oppressed we fight on when the courts stand against us we fight on
when we lose at the ballot box we don't fold we fight on and when our brothers and sisters are
standing on the line we stand with them we fight on thank you all for coming out today
Thank you Mike. The Chicago Federation of Labor was founded a decade after May Day.
The sting and pain of that day was on the hearts and minds of labor leaders here in
Chicago in 1896 when they gathered in solidarity. We are stronger together than we are apart,
right? Solidarity. In that spirit of solidarity, we'll be adding plaques from the UAW, United
Auto Workers, and the Confederacion General Italiana di Lavoro. But as we start that,
please welcome my partner in the fight, in the struggle, CFL President Bob Reuter.
No better person to help emcee a Labor Day May Day event than Don Villar,
Secretary-Treasurer of the CFL, member of NAVET Local, CWA Local 41.
Let's give Don a round of applause.
Union family, happy May Day!
Happy May Day!
May Day means a lot of different things.
It can be a solemn day.
It can be a day to celebrate.
What I'm here to tell you is this Labor Day, the struggle continues.
Workers are struggling.
They're struggling with affordability.
Workers are struggling with housing.
Workers are struggling to participate in the American dream that sometimes feels like it's too far out of reach.
This year, we've talked about an economic blackout.
This year, we're talking about looking to where workers are fighting right now.
I see to my right my union family from Workers United, who are fighting Starbucks to make sure that workers at Starbucks are treated fairly.
Starbucks workers are on strike.
Starbucks workers are on strike.
I see my friends from AFSCME.
AFSCME has been going to cultural institutions all around the city.
fighting for fairness
in some of
the biggest civic
assets that this city has
people who
hold our history
and make sure that it's preserved
for generations to come
we're here
for those cultural workers
who are fighting and struggling
we are here
for all workers
Because if the working class is not doing well, our country is not doing well.
Is that right?
I am so glad to be here with my friends from the international labor movement.
I am so heartened to be here with my friends from the UAW.
The UAW, in their last contract fight, showed us what it means to turn economic power into action and to take on the boss.
my uh italian uh union family from sigil when i was in rome last october they opened the doors
and talked to us about the struggle for workers rights in italy
And my French friends, as they always say, France is ready to go on strike at the drop of a hat.
So this May Day, let's remember one thing.
Everything for the working class.
Yeah!
It's birthday today!
One more thing.
How many of you know that Mother Jones was not only a part of the Chicago labor movement,
she was part of the cfl's labor movement when mother jones passed away john fitzpatrick who
was president of the cfl and ed knuckles who was secretary of the cfl helped lead led the effort
to honor and lift up mother jones but lifting up mother jones was lifting up not a person
but a movement of people who are fighting for fairness and justice.
Power to the working class.
Please welcome Region 4 Director of the UAW, Brandon Campbell.
Good morning. Good morning, everybody.
Good morning.
My name is Brandon Campbell, and I have the honor of serving as UAW Region 4 Director,
representing the great city of Chicago and 12 states all around the Midwest and the Great Plains.
And it is said all the time that Chicago is a union town because it's true.
There's no place that I'd rather be and no people that I'd rather be with right here, right now, on May Day,
International Workers Day, with all of you soldiers, leaders in the labor movement.
Now we have the honor today of being joined by a key leader of this unstoppable force of labor,
Sean Payne. As a 32-year member of the UAW and somebody who's been in and around this labor
movement literally all my life. I have never, ever been more proud of being a union member
than I am standing here today. And Sean's a big part of that pride. In 2023, he took the reins as
UAW president after decades of membership and service to our union. And he shook things up
in a really big way, right? Yep. You may have seen him on national TV. You may have seen him
at a picket line, always giving a whole lot of hell to the corporate class, to the billionaire
class.
Under Sean's leadership, the UAW has pushed to highlight May Day, International Workers
Day, not just on the calendar, but around the world as a day of working class action,
unity, and power.
From literally the shop floor in Kokomo, Indiana, Sean has become an international leader,
in the labor movement and inspires me every single day to work harder, to work smarter
for the working class and for our membership. Chicago, please give a very warm Uniontown
welcome to Sean Fain, UAW president. Thank you, Brandon. And good morning, Chicago. Happy
May Day. Happy Labor Day. This is our Labor Day. Yeah. Not the bullshit holiday that
rich people pick for us because they don't want to remember our history of what really happened,
of how workers are really treated in this country, even today, 140 years later.
This is not a solemn day for me.
We pay homage to our haymarket martyrs by fighting like hell and continuing to fight.
So on behalf of a million UAW members, I'm honored to be here today.
In many ways, this is where our labor movement began.
It's where it was born.
You know, 140 years ago, working class people like you and me, they made a stand.
Some lost their lives for a fundamental human right to take back their time.
An eight-hour day.
The right to a life off the job.
We're here to commemorate that history.
But today's got to be more than a commemoration.
It's got to be a revival.
You know, the Haymarket Martyrs made history, but if we leave that history in the history
books, we're failing as a labor movement.
On this plaque we write, in honor of the Haymarket Martyrs of Asia.
1886 the sit-down strikers of 1936 and the stand-up strikers of 2023 the uaw pledges to
fight for dignity for the entire working class i say this all the time this is our generation's
defining moment just like our founders that came out of a depression we're in the same moment where
wealth inequality is the worst it's ever been in our nation's history the uaw was born out of a
Great Depression. Our founding generation of sit-downers in Flint gave birth to the
American dream. You know, in less than a decade, our union went from 25,000
members to over a million members. They sparked a movement that over decades won
union rights like health care, pensions, a dignified retirement for millions of
working-class people. The workers who marched here in Haymarket and the auto
workers that sat down in Flint. You know, they weren't superhuman. They weren't gods.
They're no different than any of us. They were ordinary people that did extraordinary things.
You know, in 2023, our union decided it was time to do things different for us
and for the working class. We launched our stand-up strike and we raised a flag for the entire
working class. We showed if we're willing to fight, we can win against corporate America.
We can take back power.
And that's what May Day is all about.
You know, so we set our next contract expiration for May Day 2028.
And we did that for a reason.
We've invited unions from around the world to line up contract expirations where we can.
To take back May Day, not just a day of solidarity, but a day of action.
And for us, the Big Three, we have a very clear demand for that action.
Just like the hay market strikers fought for the eight-hour day,
we're fighting for a dignified retirement for all workers.
You know, in 2008, 2009, in the recession, again, created by the rich,
where workers paid the price,
you know, auto workers had to make massive sacrifices to save the industry,
to bail out the companies that can't run themselves out of a wet paper bag.
You know, they took so much from us back then.
They cut jobs, closed plants, slashed wages, took away pensions, took away all the security that we built over lifetimes.
In 2023, we took a lot of that back.
But the stand-up strike didn't deliver on retirement security.
And that's what 2028 is going to be all about.
Half of Americans in this country have no retirement savings.
It's not because they're not responsible.
It's because by the time they bust their asses 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, or work 2 and 3 jobs,
by the time they pay their bills, there's nothing left to save.
You know, as Walter Ruther put it back in 1950, he said,
when we first won pensions in UAW, there are millions of American workers that are too old to work and too young to die.
And that's not changed.
Today, a handful of billionaires hold as much wealth as half of humanity.
we are in a crisis that is a crisis that's right it is it's not just a crisis for America's workers
auto workers not just for the working class it is a global crisis in 2028 America's auto workers
are fighting like hell for a dignified retirement the right to a life after a job just like
generations before us had we're going to have a simple demand we're going to fight like hell for
it. Just like the 1886 Haymarket Martyrs moment, the 1936 Sit-Down Strikers moment,
this is our moment. So how are we going to find that moment? You know, what we do now
is going to impact generations to come. And nobody's going to do it for us. 140 years
ago, 140 years ago, workers were striking for an eight-hour day. And today we went
backwards. I don't know how many people work eight hours. Most people I know, a lot of
people we represent do not work eight-hour days. We may have an eight-hour day in our
contract, but they have forced overtime clauses and provisions, and they force people to work
overtime every day all over the place. Even without those, people are forced to work seven
days, multiple jobs, or they're working two or three jobs just to live paycheck to paycheck.
We have members right up the road here, we were there last night, Skokie, Illinois, workers
at Woodward, in the aerospace industry, these workers, some of these workers don't even
make the Cook County minimum wage.
And Woodward, a billion, a billion.
A billion dollar bid, making billions in profits, just announced record earnings again yesterday,
had the audacity to offer these workers a 13 cent wage increase.
And they're going to find out real quick.
We announced yesterday, within the next month, we're going to be taking a strike vote there.
You know, we're here today in America where people work their asses off and can't afford to live.
You know, today, protesters are being murdered in the streets.
Free speech is under attack. Our voting rights are under attack.
Our livelihoods are in jeopardy.
And the working class in America and the world has been left behind by the richest handful of people and corporate greed.
If we're going to turn this system around, it's going to take a fight.
Nothing the working class has ever accomplished was won without a fight.
our only means of winning the war on the working class
is our unity
it's our solidarity
and I'm going to leave you with this
my favorite bible verse
and I believe this is what the UAW
and what solidarity is all about
Ecclesiastes 4.9-12
where it says two are better than one
for they have a greater return for their labor
if one of them falls down
the other can pick them up
but pity the person who falls
and has no one there to help them up
though one may be overpowered two can defend themselves a cord of three
strands is not easily broken that's what solidarity is that's what we've got to
do so let's carry on let's continue to fight like hell and let's build toward
Mayday 2028 and take our power back solidarity
Salidary!
Unveil your plaque real quick.
Right behind the mayor.
It's over there, on the corner.
Yeah, what's up?
Do you ever wear but never plaques?
Mr. Newman!
What's up?
How are you?
Back to your position
Yes sir
There we go
So all over the world
They remember what happened here
As International Workers Day
We've got some French
Our labor allies
Our unionists from both Italy and France here
From the Confederation
Regione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, traveling all the way from Rome, our Union sisters Francesca
Redavid, Secretary of Confederation of Sigil, and her aide, Laura Zepa.
Our French brothers, from the French Confederation, Forrest-Ivera, traveling all the way from
Paris, our Union brothers, Branislav Rugani, head of the International FO, Sebastian Busiris,
General Secretary, FO, Federation of Services, Gerard Gautier, Treasurer, FECFO, and Romain Lazare, FO, National Coordinator.
To welcome our international guests, I want to call up Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson.
Hey, what's going on, Chicago?
Let the workers around the world hear you.
What's up, Chicago?
Happy May Day.
Happy International Workers' Day.
The city of Chicago is the birthplace of the working class, and the working class united will never be defeated.
Thank you to the Chicago Fair.
Federation of Labor and the Illinois Labor History Society for putting this incredible
event together. Thank you to the CFL, to Bob Ryder, and of course to Don Villar, and to
all of the workers who make our city strong and run. On this site, Chicago workers organized,
struggled, and gave their lives in the fight for not just an eight-hour workday, but the
The fight for dignity, the fight for respect, the fight to be seen and to be heard.
And workers who were striking here were trying to achieve fairness and dignity and equity,
protection under the law.
The whole idea of ensuring that our workforce is diverse, that our workforce is inclusive,
that our workforce is built on equity.
Despite what's coming from the White House in this moment,
DEI is a part of the working labor movement,
and we have to ensure that black, brown, white, Asian, young, old
stand in solidarity for the working class.
And standing for the working class,
they were met with violence and oppression
But their struggle did not end here. Not only did they achieve the eight-hour workday, they sparked a movement that changed the world.
And now over 95 countries celebrate International Workers' Day.
And today the globe comes together to honor the contributions of the labor movement and to commit to a better future for every worker.
because this is not just a moment to commemorate.
This is a day of action, and shout out to all of the students in our Chicago public schools
and our educators that have declared this day of civic action.
The labor movement is in good hands because we have students across this city
that are raising awareness of what justice looks like, not just in Chicago, but all over the world.
Chicago was also joined in this commemoration, this moment, this day of action by the Italian
General Confederation of Labor and the United Auto Workers.
These organizations have been added to the Haymarket Memorial plaque honoring their commitment
to solidarity and the ongoing fight for justice.
The 140 years of the Haymarket Affair.
We are still struggling in many ways for dignity and fairness and protection under the law.
There are nurses at Rush Hospital right now that are trying to unionize.
And all of us have to stand together to make sure that those 1,700 workers at Rush Hospital get a union card and a union.
And I'm grateful that this movement of global solidarity and the fight for workers' rights is on display today.
And thank you to the Italian General Confederation of Labor for being here today and your commitment
to this International Day of Solidarity.
We're also joined by, of course, the labor movement in France.
Thank you all for the presence and the partnership here.
And then what can you say about the President Pastor of the UAW, Sean Fay?
Thank you for carrying on that right.
And in closing, you all, as Sean indicated, and as Don and Bob indicated,
we have workers in Starbucks who are fighting for dignity.
But right now in the city of Chicago and across this country,
TIP workers and their raises are under attack.
The labor movement cannot just be satisfied with the eight-hour day or benefits or retirement.
There are black and brown women who are busting their butts every single day waiting on tables and then they're trying to say that working class women and men who are working at Starbucks or at restaurants are responsible for the economic fall of this country.
How are we blaming workers for the failures of the ultra-rich?
It is not right. It is unconscionable.
This day of fairness and dignity has to extend to our immigrant workers, our undocumented workers.
The labor movement is alive and well.
And if we can demonstrate our strength today, I'm looking for a global upset of workers from around the globe
to take it to the ultra-rich, calling for a general strike to ensure that the ultra-wealthy
in this country and in this world, they have to pay their fair share in taxes.
Power to the people, solidarity forever.
Remember, God bless you all.
Thank you Mayor.
I thought you wanted to take a picture with our delegation here real quick.
Yeah.
That box doesn't move.
Right there.
Right over here.
Yeah.
Get a shot right down here.
Immigrantes requieren dignidad.
Immigrant workers deserve dignity.
That's right.
That's right.
I'd like to welcome Francesca Redavid, Secretary of the Confederation of CGIL.
Laura, come here.
Happy May Day, everyone.
Excuse me, I speak Italian. Laura, help me.
I bring you the salute of the CGL and the workers and the Italian workers.
Never could have imagined that today, in 2026,
we would have honored the date of 1 May in a situation of general war,
of extermination of civil populations in many countries of the world,
of repression of dissent, of an explosion of disuguaglianz,
in a measure never seen since decades.
I bring you the greetings of C.G.I.L. and the working women and men of Italy.
We could never have imagined that today, in 2026, we would be honoring May Day in a world of general war,
of the mass of civilian population across so many countries, of the suppression of dissent
and of an exclusion of inequality on a scale not to see in decades.
The 1st May is a Chicago and becomes a international day of war and celebration of the workers and workers of all the world.
It is born from the violent aggression of the opera movement in fighting for the 8th of work, 8th of rest and 8th of svago,
a vindication that is spread and becomes an objective unifying and therefore more ostensibly,
to become a theater of dangerous repression.
In Italy, the murder of Portella delle Ginestre in Sicilia in 1947 is remembered every year.
hour of leisure, a demand that spread across the world began a unified goal and the world
fiercely resisted precisely because of that. It became the stage for bloody repression.
In Italy, the Portella della Ginestra Massacri in Sicily in 1947 is commemorated every single
year.
Despite this, it exists and assumes the meaning of a pacific mobilization for the rights of work, the freedom and democracy, the union of workers to change things.
Today, the memory that a Chicago renews the 1st of May, even though the USA is no longer this is the return of workers,
is always a political act, because it is against the power of the world that coincide with the super rich, the power of the power of technology.
And yet, despite all of that May Day survived, it took on the meaning of peaceful mobilization
for workers' rights, for freedom and democracy, and the reunite of working people to change
the way things are. Today, the memory renewed here in Chicago on May Day, even though this
not officially Labor Day in the United States, is increasing a political factor. It stands
in opposition to the powerful of this world, who are one of the same at the super-rich
honor of power and technology.
In our country, in Italy, this is expressed with an extreme cattivary against the migrant
left in the Mediterranean, closed in centers of respingement,
used in the hardest jobs, forced in conditions of legalization and then
recyclable. This is expressed against young people.
...che vivono precarietà del lavoro e mancanza di prospettive.
Si esprime contro le lavoratrice e i lavoratori, i pensionati,
che hanno salari e redditi sempre più bassi e vedono un continuo attacco ai diritti conquistati.
È inutile che io dica a voi cosa succede negli Stati Uniti d'America
e come tutto questo si ha già in relazione.
In our country this translates into extreme cruelty towards migrants
left to drown in the Mediterranean.
Locked in the dedication centers, exploited in the hardest jobs, forced into illegal conditions
and therefore made vulnerable to black men.
It's directed against young people who live in precarious employment with no prospects.
It's directed against working women and men, against retirees whose wages and incomes
keep failing while their hard-worn rights are under constant attack.
I don't need to tell you what is happening in the United States of America or how everything is connected.
The support of the children and children, the indignation against the government with the command,
they tell us to go on to change the state of things.
And to do this, we need the democratic movement of the workers and the workers in every country and all together.
We need to reinforce international relations, to protect the multilateralism.
Today is important in the knowledge of history and to build the world we want.
We are living through an era none of how could have imagined.
There is a general democratic crisis, and as always, the first rights to be called into question are those of working people.
But we believe in social justice.
We believe in the power of participation, the massive mobilization against wars and the abuses of power,
the strong grassroots movements of young women and men,
the outrage against those who focus governing with commanding.
All of this tells us, keep going, keep pushing to change the state of things.
And to that, we need a democratic movement of working people in every country,
All together, strengthening international teams, reviving and protecting multilateralism today is essential.
We need the warranties of history and the commitment to build the world we want.
Ecco, essere qui oggi a ricordare con lo sguardo nel presente per la costruzione del futuro e per la CGL un onore.
140 years after the market, 120 years since the birth of the CGL, united by the international solidarity, the fight continues. Thank you.
to be international solidarity. The struggle continues.
Thank you, Francesca.
And thank you to our sisters from Italy.
Thank you.
Our French Union siblings are here, and they're going to be adding a plaque next time.
next year from the French Confederation Force of War but they're here because May Day in France is
under attack right now. Please welcome Bronis Labragani, the head of the International FO.
Thank you, thank you. Their sister, their brother, their friend,
I bring you the fraternal ratings from the French Confederation Force of War and all its members.
and all its members that are marching today across France to celebrate the 1st May.
Sorry for my bad English, but it's not my mother tongue.
French neither.
Before going further, I also want to thank our comrades from the Chicago Federation of Labor,
and in particular Bob, Don and Marcus, that made it possible for Four Souvières to be here today with you.
And thanks to all of you, to your keen hospitality.
It is a great honour for a French trade unionist to be among you for May Day,
to celebrate the martyrs of the Highmarket Square,
to celebrate the heroes of the lead, to fight for eight whole days of work that
inspirates so many trade unionists across the globe, to fight for new rights
instilled to the day. It is even a greater, it is greater a honor for
Fosurier to light of the host historical cooperation between F Fosurier and the
Eiffel CEO and the deep friendship between our founder and Peace Nobel Prize, Léon Jouot,
and the leader of Eiffel CEO since the start of the 20th century. At a time when workers
fundamental rights are still under threat, in the United States of America, in Italy,
in France and other parts of the globe, it is more important than ever to remember whose
history, who passed, a become of hope in these dark times. An example that despite adversity,
despite much darker living and working condition, workers came together to ask for more dignity
in their daily lives. And when trade union delivered such social progress, in France,
May Day, only remaining non-worked and paid holiday is under attack.
We want some demagogic attempt to portray it as a budgetary issue on economic freedom.
It is one of the main symbols of the trade union movement that is attacked.
Not only in France, but everywhere.
This is why it was so important for us to be with you today.
To recall the May Day is not a day like others.
It is a day where we remember the martyrs of Heimarket,
the martyrs of Foumi in France,
and all the workers.
The trade unionists that gave their life and did a lot of sacrifice
for all of us. I have been a little too long. I think again, our brother and
sister from the Chicago Federation of Labor, we will be here next year, as
keenly invited to deposit a plaque.
Finally, I bring you, in the name of Force Ouvriere, all of solidarity in these
challenging times here in the United States of America you can always count
on who support long live or Mattis for I market long live the Chicago
Federation of Laboo long lives the American trade union movement and the
American brother and sister, long life of force of the year, long life of May Day.
Viva Solidarity!
And in the message of solidarity, I want to welcome Secretary of State Alexei Genoulias.
Good morning. I want to welcome our friends from France and Italy.
I want to thank the Chicago Federation of Labor
I want to thank all the working men and women
of Chicago, of Illinois
for your fight
we're here to commemorate the martyrs of 1886
but
this struggle
was about solidarity
it's about
It's about sacrifice, and it's about protecting men and women.
I see Father Kiley here.
We had the chance to travel to Rome to meet with the Pope,
with members of organized labor,
and to hear the Pope talk about the dignity of work
and how everyone should have a shot, if they're willing to work,
at a better life for themselves and for their kids and for their grandkids.
The May Day movement was started in Chicago.
We will continue to fight for it right here in Chicago.
But that promise of America is under assault now more than ever.
It is a tragedy that people who are willing to work and go to work every single day
in the richest country in the history of the world are still living in poverty.
That is unacceptable.
It should be unacceptable as Americans, whether you're working in Chicago or central Illinois or in France or in Italy.
As elected officials, we have to always stand up and fight for working men and women.
That is my commitment to you.
And while we are lucky to live in a state like Illinois where we have leaders that work alongside the AFL-CIO and other groups, other states aren't so lucky.
This administration from Washington, D.C., is doing incredible damage to the world order,
to people's ability to create a better life, to working men and women, and the destruction of civility.
That's why we need leaders to step up, to run for office, to be committed,
and we need people that will always fight alongside organized labor on this May Day and every other day.
Thank you so much.
SI SE PUEDE! SI SE PUEDE! SI SE PUEDE!
Woo! Woo!
So, there are so many fights going on in our city right now.
Right now, Whitey, Indiana, you steel workers are on strike, right?
Or have been locked out.
Operating engineers, Local 150 down at the QSL.
Yeah!
You've been on strike for a year.
Yeah!
Man, our graduate educators at UIC,
SCI, they're on strike. SCIU 73, you in the house? Yeah, you got, they're about to go on strike today. Let's see. You're not here at Local 1, our lunch ladies. We've got to fight for them.
Sean Payne mentioned UIW at Woodward, fighting for a living wage, and teams are $7.27 over
at Brookfield Zoo. Workers that we mentioned, we heard about the fight for workers at Starbucks
at the Botanical Gardens. United Nurses working, fighting for a union at Rush Hospital, and
And Ashley Council 31 at the Chicago History Museum.
And also, Operating Engineers 399 at Advocate Hospital.
We have so many labor fights right now.
And we're going to call them out.
You know, let's start out with QSL.
Bob, why don't you come in.
Is Bob here?
Talk about QSL.
I'm going to kick this QSL thing off.
For over a year, the workers at QSL have been fighting for fairness,
for job protection and job safety. They've been on strike for nearly a year, and the Port District
Board doesn't seem to be listening. They're getting support from my local union that I'm a
member of, the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150. And what I'd like to do now
is bring up the workers
so they can tell you
the conditions and the fight
that they're having at the docks
down at the International Port District.
Who's coming up?
Freddie.
I want to introduce my brother.
Come on. Get up here.
This is my brother.
Delegate to the CFL, Freddie Alvarez.
Freddie! Freddie! Freddie!
Thank you.
Thank you. How's everyone doing today?
Right on. Appreciate it.
My name is Freddy Alvarez. I'm with the operating engineers. I'm a business agent for the local 150 operating engineers
What it is to remember the Haymarket riots is when workers were pushed they stood up
Fought back and paid with the ultimate price
Haymarket workers didn't sacrifice for speeches or ceremonies. They set a standard
The standard of courage
solidarity and speaking when workers are under attack. When police moved in to
break up a peaceful demonstration in support of the eight-hour day, a bomb
was thrown. Seven policemen were killed, four demonstrators died, and
dozens of others were injured. Four more leaders of the protest, including Albert
Parsons were hung after a kangaroo court trial. The standard continues today. Workers across
the city, the state, and the country are fighting for fair wages, benefits, and their federal
protected right to choose a union. To honor the Haymarket with words means standing with
the workers now. Right now, on the Chicago Southside, there's a problem. There's a huge
problem. QSL America workers are on strike. They've been on strike for almost a year.
NASCO, QSL America is a Canadian owned company, backed by foreign investors doing work in
Chicago.
Today is a 345 day of workers on strike, 345 days of workers sacrificed, 345 days of workers
being ignored.
That ain't right.
It ain't right.
That's right.
QSL America has committed nine unfair labor practices against the workers.
That's nine unfair labor practices.
QSL America has OSHA violations.
Near fatal misses on workers.
Shut it down.
Out-of-state replacement workers are being bused in from Houston and all over the country
to replace local workers.
Workers who live in the city, they're being replaced.
How is this being allowed?
QSL America hired a union buster, has used union buster tactics and intimidation against
the workers that live and were born and raised in the city of Chicago.
How is that right?
This is happening at the Port of Chicago.
Our ports in the city of Chicago should be a healthy economical engine.
This cannot be happening with a strike happening right in front of their doors.
Operating at severely diminished capacities with no real consequences for the company
leasing the port or the port board who oversees it.
Shame on the port board, stalled trains that block traffic, warehouse fires that happen
on the port, this is all of the cause of a QSL America not doing the right thing.
Union workers are on strike.
When union workers are on strike, we stand with them.
When safety is ignored, we speak up.
And when people in power stay silent, we hold them accountable.
Where's the accountability? Where's the pressure on QSL America?
Government officials failing to support local workers is not the way to go about it.
Government official priorities should be to support striking workers in the city of Chicago.
Where is the leadership to say this won't happen here?
It's happening in the south side.
QSO is acting like workers have no rights.
Like labor standards don't apply.
Like safety is optional.
Well, guess what? Local 150's position is not here, not in this city, not in this state.
Local 150 will stand strong with the workers and give them a voice.
Together we will teach QSL America that the people of this city and the people of this state
will not stand for companies who do not respect workers.
Honoring the hay market isn't about looking back.
It's about meeting the standard they set right here, right now.
If every worker were a single ripple in the sea,
when workers unite, they become a tidal wave that no wall can hold.
I will appreciate everybody's time and Local 150 strong.
Thank you.
There's, again, one of the other strikes that's going on right now,
GEO Workers, Graduate Educators Organization at UIC, educators, they're on strike.
Please welcome Macy Miller.
Good morning, everyone.
Good morning.
My name is Macy, and I'm the Outreach Chair and Treasurer for GEO Local 6297,
the union that represents nearly 2,300 graduate workers at the...
Can you hear me now?
Okay, great.
The union that represents nearly 2,300 graduate workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago
who are currently on strike.
It's an honor to be here at the Haymarket Memorial to commemorate such a deeply significant
day in the working class struggle here in Chicago and around the world.
As of this week, our union has officially been bargaining with UIC's administration
for a whole year.
and since August 2025, we have been working tirelessly without a contract.
Despite the university's attempts to condescend and belittle us at the bargaining table,
our demands are simple, just, and attainable.
First and foremost, we are fighting for a living wage.
As a PhD student and a teaching assistant in UIC's sociology department,
I can tell you firsthand that I do not get paid enough for my work,
and neither do any of my comrades on campus.
UIC graduate workers like me are paid a minimum of $24,200 for nine months with no guaranteed
summer employment or pay.
As of now, UIC administration has only offered graduate workers a meager 2% raise.
This offer pales in comparison to grad wages at other local R1 institutions, like Northwestern
and University of Chicago, and is nowhere near enough to live in an expensive city while
inflation skyrockets around us. Meanwhile, UIC shells out millions upon
millions of dollars to pay the luxurious salaries and benefits of its top
administrators. Chancellor Miranda alone makes over $700,000, which is enough to
pay 31 graduate workers per year on our current wage. In addition, we are asking
for better affordable and accessible health care, academic protections against
the encroachment of AI in our workplaces and sanctuary protections to keep ICE out of our
classrooms in support of international workers and students and all of UIC's most marginalized
communities. This May Day, we are proud to stand in solidarity against fascism, manufactured
austerity and the greed of the ruling class alongside all of the workers here today who
sustain the economy on our backs. Because our university has refused to come to the table
and good faith, we have been left with no choice but to go on strike. We plan to hold the line
until we negotiate a fair contract for the overworked, underpaid, and exploited workers
who keep up daily operations at one of Chicago's top public education institutions. We know
the power of our labor, and accordingly, we believe in the power of the working class
to provide high-quality, accessible, affordable public education across our campus and beyond.
We support the call for a general strike to stop business as usual
and show the capitalist class what workers like us truly deserve.
If you'd like to show our grad workers some support on the picket line,
you can check out our daily picket locations and the link to donate to our strike fund
on our website, uicgeo.org.
Thank you so much. Solidarity forever.
Thank you, Macy.
Now, I'd like to call up Anise Balfour.
You're not here at Local 1.
Anise, were you arrested last week?
Yes. She put her life on the line last week for the lunch ladies at CPS.
Hi, my name is Anise Balfour, and I work for Galisto Elementary School as a lunchroom attendant.
Along with 1,700 other lunchroom workers, we are fighting for better wages,
more staff in our lunch rooms
and equality
last week on April 21st
Along with another group of our workers, we had a civil disobedience.
And some of us got arrested for the fight.
And the fight is about higher wages.
Some of our workers cannot pay their rent.
Some can't put food on the table.
And most of us have to work second jobs like I do.
One job should be enough.
Yes, one job should be enough.
We will continue to fight. We've been in this fight for a year, and if it goes any longer, I will stand on the front line and fight for the 1,700 workers at CPS.
We want to say thank you for United Here, Local One, for helping us in this fight.
I'd like to call up Elizabeth Lelez, National Nurses United. Elizabeth, are you here?
There you are, fighting to organize Rush Hospital, the last hospital in the medical district to unionize, right?
Good morning, everyone. Happy May Day.
I know it's a little chilly, but it's a beautiful day, isn't it?
Yeah.
So my name is Elizabeth Lawlish, and I am a 15-year steward with National Nurses United.
I do work at Cook County Hospital and Cook County Health, Strosier Hospital, but I stand in solidarity with the 2,000 nurses at Rush Hospital just down the street who have actually filed a petition, the largest, I believe, in health care in the city to join our union with an election that's forthcoming.
So we really would love your support.
Mid-May is when that election is happening.
And the more nurses that we have and the more health care workers that we have and unions,
the stronger our health care system will be.
It's under serious attack, as people know.
And on this May Day, which I'm honored to be here, honestly, in this space, on this day,
It's an incredible opportunity to really talk about the connection between what happened in 1886
and the fight for the eight-hour day and what we're fighting for today.
Because we're standing in making history today as they were in 1886.
I mean, we have to take on the responsibility of really fighting the way that the Haymarket martyrs
And all the 190,000 people across the country in 1886 were fighting to actually win what they needed to win, which was fewer hours and time to actually live and be human.
Today is similar to that.
We have an administration that is brutally attacking all of us from all sides.
And health care is no exception to that.
You know, there are billions of dollars that will soon be gutted out of Medicaid at the end of the year, which means that we're going to have more and more patients coming into fewer and fewer hospitals with fewer and fewer health care workers as there is the prospect of them laying us off.
We already went through a lot during COVID.
People have given everything they have to make sure that our patients are safe and well cared for.
People know the stories about what happened during COVID.
Nurses like myself were the sole people who actually were talking and in communication with those COVID patients because their family members couldn't come in to see them.
We still have that strength of dedication and advocacy that we want to bring to everything that we do in health care.
So Rush being able to actually, and it's been some time that we've been organizing,
the fact that those nurses have finally said, no more.
No more.
We're not going to take it anymore.
We're not going to take it anymore.
And the way that the administration has given a green light to actually attacking working class people has allowed our bosses to get a green light that that kind of treatment's okay.
That's why we're saying, no more.
And also, today is a fantastic day to mobilize people across this country.
My union, National Nurses United, is part of this.
The national organizing for May Day Strong demonstrations that are happening in hundreds, if not thousands of cities across this country.
Today we're going to be in the medical district at 11.30 with health care workers across unions and across anyone who is non-unionized come together and actually participate in a feeder march that says we are together, we are in solidarity and we are going to fight for a better health care system and a better world.
And just to conclude is to really say that on this day, I want us also to think about
our vision of creating a better world, a healthier world, a place where we can actually live,
learn, work and thrive.
That's the commitment of my union and also to say that we stand in solidarity with everyone.
Our demands are abolish ICE, no more war.
We need a healthy society
And also we need to be able to
You know
Have a vision of that for the future
So thank you very much for your time
And please
Look out for the vote at Rush Hospital
We really need your support
Coming together
And solidarity
Thank you
Thank you sister
I'd like to
Call up
Workers United
They've been fighting at Starbucks
and at the Chicago Botanical, Carlos Denard.
Come on, Carlos.
Thank you, Don.
What an honor it is for me to be amongst all of you.
Pero primero que todo, ¿Dónde está mi gente?
Sin nosotros no hay nada.
Sin nosotros no hay nada.
Thank you, Bob.
Thank you, Don.
Thank you to all the union members around the world.
So why are we here today?
We are here because the fight that began in 1886 in these sacred grounds continues today.
Workers can no longer afford the eight hours of work, the eight hours of sleep, and the hours of rest.
And we can't afford it because we haven't fought for it.
They just keep moving the goalposts.
We live in a rigged system, in a system that is meant to oppress the working class, and we have to stop that. Take Starbucks, a company that in four months paid its CEO $100 million. That's not right. That's not fair. That's criminal.
Yet, that same CEO refuses to give workers their contract.
They've been bargaining for over two years and still no contract.
That is a lack of decency.
That is a lack of empathy.
That is why today I'll ask all of you to do something extremely revolutionary.
Okay.
Hold on.
Hold on.
Where's my phone?
I left my phone.
I want everyone to take your phones out and delete your Starbucks app.
Delete that app.
That is how we are going to honor the folks that suffered here.
that is how we start helping those who need the help delete the app please do
and don't buy there I'm going to close by trying my best to speak Italian
because I want you folks to know that we appreciate everything you've done in
in Italy, for the rest of the world. So in the world of Giuseppe di Vittorio,
i padroni non considerano il lavoratori un uomo. Lo consideramo una magina, un automa.
Ma il lavatori non è un attreso qualsiasi. Non si affitta, non si vende.
The laborer is a man with his personality, his own love, his idea, his political opinion,
his religious faith, he wants that his rights be respected by all of them in the first place
by the patron.
English says the bosses do not consider workers to be human beings.
They consider them to be machines, robots, just numbers.
But workers are not just any old tools.
They cannot be hired or sold.
Workers are human beings.
They have their own personalities, their own self-respect, their own ideas,
their own political opinions, their own religious beliefs.
And they want these rights to be respected by everyone, and first-hand and foremost by their bosses.
So when we march today, because we're all marching today,
we're all going to march to demand that ICE and CBP get out of our communities now.
We're going to march because we want the rich to be taxed now.
and we're going to march because our democracy matters and if you mess with democracy you mess
with labor thank you thank you carlos thank you uh another fight is at brookfield do teamsters
local 727 sean mcgarrow and gary come on up good morning sisters and brothers happy mayday to you
all. My name is Sean McGoff. I'm an organizer and business agent for Teamsters Local 727.
Local 727 represents 10,000 hardworking folks across the Chicagoland area, 200 of which
work at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. The animal care specialists, the zookeepers, the custodians,
the ground staff, the skilled trades, and the patrol officers have been locked in a bitter
fight for a fair contract over the last several months.
This past Tuesday, in a powerful act of solidarity, damn near every single person in the bargaining
unit voted and 92% authorized to have an unfair labor practice strike.
Now there is still time for zoo management to come to their senses.
The contract expires in two hours.
Bargaining is going on right now.
To talk a little bit more about the fight, it is with great joy that I get to introduce
Carrie Sapienza, Chief Union Steward for the Brookfield Zoo, and my dear friend.
Hello, hello!
Thank you everyone for being here.
My name is Carrie Sapienza.
I'm a senior groundskeeper equipment operator chief union steward and I'm
here to represent local 727 Teamsters because we are negotiating a contract
I'm here today on their behalf and we're fighting I can't talk long we got to go
back to that table and fight here's the thing I've been here 33 years Teamsters
Local 727 with this negotiations with Chicago Brookfield Zoo it's tough it's
been dicey as Sean said we've got 200 members these members don't just it's not
a job it's a career 25 35 45 years we've worked there day in day out it's our
second home it's not just a job it's a it's a career in negotiations we're we're
not asking for much we're asking for a fair contract we're asking for this for safety of
our staff safety of our animals safety of the welfare of the animals safety of the thousands
and thousands of guests that walk through that gate every day we're asking to keep our current
healthcare. We've had families who rely on this healthcare for over 10 years and
they want to take it away. We are asking for increased wages to provide for our
families. We are asking to eliminate subcontracting. Our animal support staff
are absolutely experts and they're incredible and we support the zoo every
single day when you see what we do at Brookfield Zoo
We do that internally. We do not need a subcontractor to take our jobs
Finally we ask for your support
Every single one of you. We need your support
Because we can't do it without you
We need your support for a fair and equitable
contract. You got it. We've got to go back here, back to that negotiating table right now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to call up Jose Tapia, UAW, Woodward. They're in a fight right now.
Good morning, everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Jose Tapia, Union President for Local 5101.
We stand here today at the Haymarket Memorial, not just for a ceremony, but to remember.
To remember that the rights that we have today were not just given. They were fought for and paid for with sacrifice.
That's right.
Right here in Chicago, workers stood up and demanded something simple.
an 8 hour work day. They were told they were asking for too much. They were told to be
quiet and they were told and they stood up anyway. And because they did, we are here
today. And now it's our turn. Today we are 800 workers fighting a billion dollar contractor
for our lives. While they're making record profits, Woodward is paying poverty wages
to immigrant workers building America's military. And what do they offer us? 13 cents. 13 cents
at the same time they've been illegally refusing to negotiate. We have 38 violations of law
and counting. 38 unfair labor practice charges. But just like the workers that we honor today,
we are done being afraid. Workers who never took action before are standing up,
yeah, finding their voice and standing together. Because this is the moment,
this is what this moment's about. Not just remembering the past, but carrying it forward.
the fight didn't end here it started here and today the fight is still alive right here right
now in Chicago and just like those who came before us we are not backing down we honor them by
continue in that fight. In solidarity. Thank you.
Stand up fight back!
SEIU 73, Owen Schmidt, are you around?
I guess, Owen? SEIU 73?
I guess he's not here. SEIU 73, they're on the verge of
striking at Loyola, so please, keep
stay in solidarity with them. Actually, that wraps
up our speeches I want to you know thank you again for joining us in this
commemoration and as we do oh by the way as you know we got the Haymark the
rally and March at Union Park down to Daly Plaza that's at 1 p.m. so
immigrant rights rally right we got immigrant rights our workers right so we
stand in solidarity with them and we'll see you more there but got some oh
Oh, we always end with the singing of Solidarity Forever.
Come on up here, Ed.
Okay, everybody know the lyrics?
Yeah.
When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,
there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun.
Yet what force on earth is weak in the feeble strength of one?
For the union makes us strong.
Solidarity forever
Solidarity for the cities where they trade
Dug the mines and built the workshops
the wonders we have made
but the union makes us
strong
solidarity forever