IVAW & Organized LABOR Celebrate MAY DAY in Philly


IRAQ Veterans Against the War & Organized Labor Rally with 500 youth from S.W. Philly's Tilden School

Steve Mortillo

Philly IVAW Prez, Steve Mortillo, explains how the "Economic Draft" fools the best Sons and Daughters of the Working Class into the Armed Services

LT Buonomo

Lieutenant T.J. Buonomo is backed up by the 1st ID's Sgt Gordy LaChance, the 101st AIRBORNE's Sgt Jesse Hamilton, 1st Armored Cav's "Scout", Jason Gunn, and Big Red One 19 Delta "Scout" Steve Mortillo

Royce Adams

Philly Longshoreman Organizer, Royce Adams, explains to the crowd how the West Coast ILWU was shutting down the War "Effort".  Thousands of dockworkers at all 29 West Coast ports, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Long Beach, took the day off work today in what their union called a protest of the war in Iraq, effectively shutting down operations at the busy complexes.

Tilden School

Organized Labor was joined at the stage podium by 500 youth from Tilden School

Teachers

Props go out to the Teachers and TA's who brought the Students out to the Park

Jim Moran

Organizer Extraodinare, Jim Moran, MC'd the Rally

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, President of Local 509, National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, lays down LAW!

Red Jed Dodd

RED JED DODD, Pennsylvania Chair of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, now affiliated with the Teamsters, Nationally, with 2 of his Brothers.

Sgt Jesse Hamilton

Iraq Vet Against the War, Sgt Jesse Hamilton's sweatshirt says it all: "Soldier, You Are NOT Alone"

Sgt Mark LaChance

1st ID's Sgt Mark LaChance holds a truly sad commentary of the "Global War On Terrorism" (sic)

Local 57

Local 57, LIUNA Highway, Bridge and Infrastructure members serve as abutments for our Winter Soldiers of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Far left is Local 57 Organizer, Esteban Vera, Jr., and far right, yours truly, bp

RED ROGUES GALLERY

RED ROGUES GALLERY of Fellow Travelers include AFSCME President, Thomas Paine Cronin, Steve Mortillo, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists movers and shakers, Longshoremen Royce Adams and Big Bernard Fisher, Mark LaChance, CWA's Jim Moran, Jason Gunn & TJ Buonomo

Please, My Sisters and Brothers, always keep in mind that what happened 122 years ago is why the WHOLE WORLD, 'cept the U.S., celebrates MAY DAY:

The first national action for the eight-hour day, the 1886 strike had international significance. All the world was watching on May 1st, when the walkout brought much of the nation's work to a halt. It watched as, acting for the employers -- for capital -- Chicago police killed strikers on May 3 and again in the Haymarket affair on May 4, then rounded up a number of the city's leftist labor leaders and put them on trial, executing four. (A fifth killed himself before execution.) At the request of the AFL in 1889, the world labor movement adopted May Day as its international holiday.

All that has been written out of most American history books.

Photo Credit:  ALL 12 Photos, credit Bill Perry