Bass, Raman Among Participants in Wilmington Labor Day Parade

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her opponent in the Nov. 3 election, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, were among the several thousand participants in Monday's Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Labor Coalition's 47th annual Solidarity Parade and Picnic Rally in Wilmington. What organizers billed as one of the nation's largest Labor Day parades began at 10 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Broad Avenue and E Street, headed west on E Street to Avalon Boulevard and continued north on Avalon Boulevard to M Street, concluding at Banning Park. A picnic and rally in Banning Park followed the parade. The rally was to include one speaker each from Starbucks Workers United and a SoCalGas employee represented by the Utility Workers of Union of America, Local 132, Kristal Romero, the press secretary of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, told City News Service. Starbucks Workers United began asking customers on Aug. 25 to sign a pledge to boycott the coffee chain or use corporate catering until an agreement is reached. The union's demands include raising the pay of the lowest-paid union baristas to $17 per hour, having at least three workers scheduled on the floor at all times 'to serve customers, make drinks, and secure our store,' and having available hours go to current baristas before hiring new workers 'so we can get the hours we need to qualify for benefits and pay our bills,' according to the union, which was formed in 2021 and is negotiating with the company on a contract. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson told The Seattle Times, 'As we have always been, we're committed to engaging in productive bargaining.' SoCalGas workers are trying to stop the outsourcing of call center jobs abroad, Romero said. Labor Day, the yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the nation's strength, prosperity and well-being, was first celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. In 1887, Oregon became the first state to formally recognize Labor Day. By 1894, 31 of the then-44 states had made Labor Day a holiday when Congress passed a bill designating the first Monday in September a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and territories. 'While Labor Day evokes images of hot dogs and the end of summer, it also serves as a real reminder of how much working people must speak out and organize for dignity and respect on the job,' Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, told CNS. 'The best way to spend Labor Day is to celebrate everyday working people. In an era when working people increasingly feel the squeeze from billionaires and corporate greed, Labor Day is a powerful reminder of the power working people possess when we come together to fight for better conditions for all.'