Massive Labor Day Protests

SEIU Local 73, SEIU HCII, SEIU Local 1, Fight for $15 and dozens of other partner organizations joined forces in Chicago on Labor Day to demand that unions are the solution to the rigged economy. Thousands of workers marched, rallied, and vowed to oust Governor Rauner who recently vetoed a $15/hour minimum wage for 2.3 million workers.

There was a strike by fast-food workers in Pilsen, speeches at the Thompson Center and a march to the American Hospital Association where hospital workers declared they are joining the Fight for $15.

Paige Warren, worker at Loyola University and SEIU Local 73 member, inspiring the crowd as emcee at the Thompson Center.

We are launching a voter initiative where SEIU members and working people in the Fight for $15 movement in Illinois will pledge to volunteer 40 hours of their time in an unprecedented effort to engage voters in the state who feel left out of the political process. SEIU is rolling out this voter initiative across a dozen battleground states mostly in the Midwest, including Illinois and Michigan, as well as Florida, Colorado, and Nevada.

“Chicago Public Schools made a decision to lay off 950 of my co-workers. This decision is reckless,” Daniel Gonzalez, CPS worker and SEIU Local 73 member, speaking at the rally.

Americans are fed up with self-interested politicians that rig the system against working people by blocking our ability to raise the minimum wage. United in a union, we can fight back and win.