Labor Day: Starting to build

Rising to the occasion behind the class conscious slogan, “Workers Over Billionaires”, an estimated half million people across the country transformed what has usually been, in recent times, relatively sparse and insular Labor Day picnics and breakfasts, into robust public manifestations of displeasure with the fascist Trump regime. Marches and demonstrations on September 1 kept the momentum going for mass action following the “No Kings” events of earlier in the summer. 

While the numbers did not measure up to the size of the biggest earlier protests, which claimed millions of people in the streets, half a million on short notice, in an event held during the last vacation weekend of summer, is nothing to sneeze at.

Although most unions and labor councils waited until a week or two prior to the holiday to put out the word—reflecting perhaps labor leadership hesitancy due to fears of pro-Trump sentiments within the ranks of some unions—the level of participation should encourage bolder thinking going forward. 

Development of the mass demonstration muscle—a tactic too long neglected by the American labor movement—is now underway. Continuous exercise of this tactic will be critical in building toward the May 1, 2028 general strike called for by United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, and a key element in bringing together a broad antifascist movement.

DSA members across the state also answered the call. Here are snapshots from a few chapters of how our members organized to make Labor Day worthy of the name. [The reports have been lightly edited for clarity.]

The Sonoma march led through a mall.

Sonoma

Reported by Cameron Kaiser: “We hosted a rally and march of around 500 people in the Santa Rosa Courthouse Square under the theme of Workers Over Billionaires. We invited organizations like the Working Family Party, Sonoma County Green Party, and the American Party of Labor to come give speeches alongside us. 

“With a wide range of progressive parties, two themes among the speeches were clear: the system has failed the working class, and we are all united in our resistance against fascism and in the fight for the rights of the people. We then marched through the Santa Rosa mall, shouting chants like "El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido", "No justice, no peace", "Si se puede", and "No trump, no KKK, no fascist USA". 

“Upon our return to the square, we concluded with more speeches and finally a call to visit the tables of all the organizations present and engage with the movement.”

Tim MacKenzie spoke on behalf of Silicon Valley DSA in San Jose’s rally.

San Jose

Reported by Tim MacKenzie: “There were two events in our territory on Labor Day. One was a planned 'human chain' protest with 17,000 people from Redwood City to Santa Clara on El Camino Real. I showed up for about an hour and talked with a few people in Mountain View. I used the opportunity to bring up Measure A which our chapter endorsed to save County hospitals, and Prop 50, endorsed by California DSA. You can see some local reporting here. 

“We turned out as a chapter for the Labor Day event in San Jose. I wasn't involved in planning, but one of our Labor Working Group co-chairs came to a planning meeting the week beforehand. It came together relatively quickly and was started under the auspices of the May Day coalition we had been part of earlier in the year. The South Bay Labor Council endorsed and had a speaker. There were a few hundred people. It was smaller than earlier 50501 mobilizations in the summer, but still decent turnout. 

“About a dozen chapter members came out, and half of us met beforehand at our office in downtown San Jose a few blocks from City Hall where the protest happened. We got our flag and banner and clipboards with sign up sheets and folded some zines together before walking over. 

“Representatives of a dozen unions and community organizations spoke at the rally. I went last representing DSA. Here’s what I said.”

David Solnit’s artwork graced the Richmond rally.

Richmond

Reported by Fred Glass: “East Bay DSA faced a choice of several events, and endorsed a rally and brief march held in Richmond, a former industrial town of 100,000 north of Berkeley. Coalition partners included the Richmond Progressive Alliance, which holds a majority on the city council; United Teachers of Richmond; SEIU Local 1021; and the Contra Costa Labor Council, among others. 

“Each of these organizations sent speakers to the mic at the rally in front of the Frank Hagel Federal Building, and the crowd of several hundred responded enthusiastically to the skewering of billionaires, fascists, ICE, and Chevron, along with various other plagues afflicting the working class of Richmond and the country. 

“Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, a DSA member, reminded the crowd to cheers about last year’s impressive victory over Chevron, whose refinery looms over Richmond and has for a century treated it as a company town. Fearful that a proposed ballot measure would have caused it to cough up a dollar per barrel of oil refined, the corporation agreed to pay the city $550 million over ten years to withdraw the initiative, providing critical funding for city services. But the biggest applause came for a couple of Richmond High School students, who, like their teachers, spoke movingly of the need for adequate resources to enable public education to lift them up. 

“Following the rally the crowd gathered itself for a short march around the downtown area.” 

Next up for mass demonstrations: No Kings Day on October 18.