Congressman García Honors Essential Workers and the Worker Movement on May Day

Congressman García Honors Essential Workers and the Worker Movement on May Day

"There is still work to be done when workers struggle to take a bathroom break or are told to work through a hurricane"

CHICAGO, IL — Today, to mark May Day also known as International Workers Day, Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus, released a video, honoring essential workers and the labor movement in a call to continue the fight for respect, dignity, and the right for workers to make their voices heard.

The video can be downloaded by clicking here, and it can also be seen on the Congressman's Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter pages.

A full transcript of the Congressman's video message can be found below:

"May 1st, also known as May Day or International Workers' Day commemorates the1886 Haymarket Riot, when Chicago police violently confronted workers fighting for an 8-hour weekday. Since then, the organized labor movement has made important strides like abolishing child labor, providing basic workers protections, unemployment benefits, and a 40-hour work week.

"Yet the last two years have also shown that there is still work to be done when workers struggle to take a bathroom break or are told to work through a hurricane.

"During the pandemic, workers across industries sacrificed so much to keep our country going. They risked their safety, and many lost their lives, while billionaires got richer. These inequalities have sparked a new movement of young workers across our country who are standing up to say: Enough is enough!

"I learned at a young age that unions are a powerful tool to help women, Latino, Black, and other marginalized workers fight discrimination and improve workplace conditions. My parents were both proud Teamsters and as a teenager I joined the Retail Workers Union before becoming a Teamster and a member of the United Legal Workers Union. This is my history too.

"Teachers, nurses, county employees, nursing home workers, among others, went on strike in the past year. It shouldn't have to take a pandemic to improve working conditions for those who keep our country running.

But I am encouraged to see American warehouse workers in New York who recently voted to formally unionize.

"In Chicago, I stood with:

• Nabisco workers from the Bakers' Union,
• Auto Mechanics from Local 701
• Employees of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Workers from El Milagro Tortilla Factory
• Starbucks baristas
• Metra workers
• Workers from IBEW Local 1220

"And I've stood with immigrant workers all across our nation, who deserve a path to citizenship in the country they call home.

"All workers deserve respect, dignity, and the right to make their voices heard. So on this May Day, I want to honor the millions of workers who are still fighting for better salaries and safer working conditions.

"Because when workers fight, we all win."

# # #