Boston Labor Day Rally Focuses on Economic Crisis Rep. Niki Tsongas Attacks Republican Policies
BOSTON/Boston Common - After another difficult year for working families, over 200 union members, staff and allies gathered in front of the recently restored Brewer Fountain on Boston Common to celebrate Labor Day with a rally and march. The event was organized by New England's main property services union, Service Employees International Union Local 615. Union leaders said the aim of the action was to ask attendees to urge "their neighbors to support policies to put people back to work, put immigrants on the path to citizenship, and ensure the devastating Bush tax giveaways to the super rich expire on schedule in December 2010."
Mayor Thomas Menino made a brief appearance before the start of the rally, but had to leave to attend another engagement.
SEIU 615 president Rocio Saenz opened the proceedings with a call for unity between working people, "We ... know that working families now face the greatest crisis of our generation. They struggle to pay the bills. Struggle to pay the rent. They struggle to put food on the table. And for too many, they also have seen that they have lost their jobs, they have lost their homes, and they have put their dreams on hold to see their kids go on to college.
"This is not the first time that American people - that workers - have faced challenges of this magnitude. And it has been during these times of great crisis that we also have won the most meaningful and long-lasting gains for working people. When we are united as workers. When we are united with our neighbors, with our friends, with our families, we're able to pave the way to a better life. A path that will lead our nation back to economic prosperity."
Rich Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council, then recounted the achievements of the American labor movement and criticized corporate leaders for attempting to eliminate unions, "Boston's a union city and we're proud of it. Our beautiful skyline is union-built by our building trades members. Our children - including mine - are taught by the members of the Boston Teachers Union. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise, they're the best teachers in America. Union members of Boston fight our fires, clean our parks, bag our groceries and care for our kids. They pay our taxes, own homes and are active in our communities and churches.
"Union members are the heart and soul of this city. We fight together in City Hall, Beacon Hill and in Congress to protect our members living standards. We've been instrumental in every progressive change in our nation's history - from Social Security in 1935, which protects our seniors from poverty, to the Civil Rights struggles in the 50s and 60s to the recently-enacted health care bill, the labor movement were the people that made the difference. We made the middle class and we need to stand together to preserve those gains. We've been fighting Corporate America and their allies - the bankers, the brokers, the hedge fund people - for over a generation. They want to strip our rights and take away our unions. We're not going to let that happen in Boston - Happy Labor Day."
U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell), who is currently campaigning for reelection, gave an extended speech that included repeated attacks on the Republican Party, "It is great to be here this Labor Day. And I want to thank SEIU 615 for inviting me to participate, and I want to say I am so honored to have your endorsement for my reelection in November. I know that everyone here understands what is at stake this November. You have been on the front lines of the progress of the past two years. But you also know we face a tough challenge in November and we must take the message of progress and recovery to the voters of the Commonwealth and let them know exactly what is at stake. And we have just 57 days to do it. These 57 days are crucial. Because it's the difference between keeping our country moving forward, building on the progress of the last two years, or returning to the failed policies of the past - policies that we have worked so hard to undo.
"Let's consider what is at stake. This spring, we did something that we had been trying to do since Harry Truman was President over 50 years ago. We passed health care reform. Until this past spring, the United States was the only industrialized nation that didn't provide its citizens with health care coverage. But Republicans have been saying on the campaign trail that if they take over Congress in November they're going to repeal the health care law. Think about this for a moment. They want to return to a time when insurance companies could say no to a sick child and deny them health coverage. Or drop someone from their plan because they got sick and became too expensive. They want to reopen the Medicare D "donut hole" - forcing many seniors to go without necessary medications. Do we want to return to those days? We can't go back. We won't go back. We need you to work with all of us to tell people what is at stake.
"For years, Republicans in Washington adopted an anything goes approach to financial oversight. Wall Street was running wild. And excesses and abuses went unchecked. It was the Wild West on Wall Street. That is until the bubble broke and the economy melted down. In the past year, I've been working hard to return some power to consumers and to put a regulatory cop back on the financial beat. We have taken concrete steps to stop abuses by credit card companies, curb predatory lending, and help level the playing field for consumers. We can't go back to the Wild West on Wall Street and we won't go back. That is what is at stake. Tell the people what is at stake. Jobs. Job creation is our most urgent national priority. I believe that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we have to allow them to be in a position to create jobs. That's why we passed small business tax credits to help get the economy moving again. And we've worked to create jobs while modernizing our nation's infrastructure - including roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, water and sewage. We've helped states like Massachusetts reduce layoffs in education and public safety - and prevented even higher state tax and local taxes - and we included the largest tax cut ever past - including 95 percent of American workers.
"There is still work to be done on the economy. Too many are still out of work, and many of the jobs we have lost are simply not coming back. That is why I have supported measures to create a thriving green economy that will protect our environment, lead us to energy independence, and create new jobs. The Republican plan for job creation? Sit back, cross their fingers, and hope companies start hiring people again. That ain't good enough. We can't go back and we won't go back. That is what's at stake. Tell people what's at stake. 57 days is our time frame. We have 57 days to put forth an effort like we did in 2006, in 2007 when you helped elect me to Congress, and in 2008 when we elected President Obama. We must reach out to voters house by house, door by door, to tell them what is at stake. To lay out the choice for November. Continued progress and a better country for working families. Or a return to the failed policies of the past that nearly destroyed our economy. We can't go back. We won't go back. Happy Labor Day."
After listening to few more speakers, including Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett), the attendees marched down Tremont and Boylston Sts. to Copley Square - led by the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band.
The event concluded following another short rally in front of Trinity Church in Copley Square. There was a light police presence, no incidents and no arrests.
