Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LABOR NEWS—Half a million laborers, supporters rally on Labor Day, (Sep 2, 2025)
Organizations Mentioned:AFL-CIO | Americans for Tax Fairness | Duke University | Public Citizen | Service Employees International Union
By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.
At one event, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) vowed that, “together, we will create an economy and government that work for all, not just the 1%.”
Over Labor Day weekend, more than 500,000 laborers, families, and community members participated in dozens of Workers Over Billionaires protests organized by the May Day Strong Coalition and other workers’ rights groups, challenging “billionaires and corporations who continue to hoard wealth and power and workers’ expense”. The protests highlighted the actions of employers such as Duke University and Amazon Inc., as well as local school districts and airports, according to the Service Employees International Union.
Protests across the nation. Protests, which saw double the turnout from May Day 2025, took place in cities around the U.S., including Durham, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Albuquerque, Houston, Seattle, Des Moines, St. Louis, San Francisco, Ashville, and Detroit, according to May Day Strong. In Durham, workers demanded fair pay from Duke University, and in Chicago, the Chicago Teachers Union called for solidarity. In Houston, Hilton hotel workers went on strike, and in St. Louis, workers rallied against proposed redistricting.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spoke at a rally in Concord, New Hampshire, reported Common Dreams, vowing that “together, we will create an economy and government that work for all, not just the 1%.” In New York, demonstrators at a rally outside of Trump Tower demanded a $30 minimum wage, while members of groups including One Fair Wage staged a “Restaurant in the Street” demonstration to launch the New York Living Wage for All campaign.
A powerful show of force. “Today was a powerful show of force and reminder that working people will not cower to billionaire bosses and the politicians they bankroll,” said Mackenzie Baris, deputy director of program and basebuilding for Jobs with Justice. “From San Francisco to Atlanta, from Chattanooga to Long Island, and every state in between, we saw working people of all ages, races, and backgrounds come out strong to call out the billionaires who are extracting from our communities, abducting our neighbors, and dismantling our democracy.”
May Day Strong is comprised of dozens of workers’ rights organizations, including the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, National Union of Healthcare Workers, and advocacy groups such as Americans for Tax Fairness, Indivisible, Our Revolution, and Public Citizen.
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