Thousands 'Take Back Labor Day' At Festival During GOP Convention
By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota editor
ST. PAUL, Minn. (PAI)--Many of the thousands of young people gathered at Harriet
Island in the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 1 probably never
heard of folk musician Woody Guthrie or labor organizer Joe Hill, but they
cheered when musicians Steve Earle and Tom Morello evoked the memories of these
labor icons at the "Take Back Labor Day" Festival there during the GOP
convention.
And thousands also joined in singing "This Land Is Your Land," the worker's
anthem penned by Guthrie, when led by Morello, also known as "The Nightwatchman"
and a member of the group, Rage Against the Machine.
The festival, run by the Service Employees, featured hip hop, rap and rock
artists including Atmosphere, Mos Def and The Pharcyde--with a dose of politics
thrown in.
British rocker Billy Bragg told the crowd that people around the world are
waiting for the United States "to lead again" and he urged Americans to vote for change in November. "I have faith in you," Bragg told the
crowd, many of whom came to the festival after participating in an anti-war
march.
In addition to the music, SEIU staffed booths with information on the labor
movement and the Employee Free Choice Act, federal legislation to make it easier
for workers to exercise their right to join unions.
The Labor Day festival was held to coincide with the Republican National
Convention in downtown St. Paul, SEIU President Andy Stern said in an interview.
SEIU also sponsored a rally and concert during the Democratic National
Convention in Denver, to highlight the need for affordable, universal health
care.
"We wanted to inject into the discussion in America--What's happened to the
American worker?" Stern said. "People are falling behind, not getting ahead."
Whoever is elected in November, SEIU plans to work hard to advance its
priorities, which Stern described as "Health care first, health care first and
health care first."