Labor Day rally
"Honor the dead of 9-11 by fighting
for the living." —
Lillian Roberts
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By Jane LaTour
Spread across the green grass of Battery Park, two blocks south
of Ground Zero, 5,000 trade unionists came together Tuesday, Sept.
3, to honor both Labor Day and the deceased of 9/11.
The New York City Central Labor Council sponsored the rally, which
heard from elected officials and union leaders, including CLC President
Brian McLaughlin and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted, "All Americans—but
especially organized labor—were
part of 9/11/01. We want to honor all the work that labor has done."
While every speaker talked of the need
to rebuild the city's economy, it fell to DC 37 Executive Director
Lillian Roberts to emphasize labor's unfinished agenda:
"New York State has the greatest gap between rich and poor
in the U.S. We must bridge this gap," she said. "We
need to fight for a living wage, a higher minimum wage and a
jobs program." The best way to honor the dead, she said,
is to "continue the fight for a better future!"
Hundreds of DC 37 members at the rally emphatically supported
this message.
"The Republicans are not too labor prone at all,"
said Local 768 retiree Arlene Tuff, who faced complex problems
in her career at the Health Dept., such as tuberculosis and
sexually transmitted
diseases.
For Delegate Dawn Jones of SSEU Local 371, the dual significance
of the day was paramount. Jones lost a close friend on Sept.
11, and volunteered her services after that day for months to
come as a counselor through the National Action Network.
Said Ms. Jones, "Many city workers routinely put their
lives on the line."
Audrey Iszard, vice president of the DC 37 Retirees Association,
spoke about the special nature of the commemoration: "On
Labor Day, we pay homage to the working people and to those
who built the labor movement, as well as to those who have sacrificed
their lives for others."