May Day in Philadelphia




In Philadelphia the annual May Day Rally was held at Elmwood Park located at 71st and Buist Streets in Southwest Philadelphia. It is a small but comely Park nestled in a predominately African American neighborhood is not only close to the edge of town but near the Philadelphia International Airport. The event was sponsored by the May Day USA Educational  Committee ; Philadelphia Labor History Society and PhilaPOSH. Several unions and labor organizations supported the rally. Among them were AFSCME District Council 47 ; American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Philadelphia, PA Area Local 89; Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; Coalition of Labor Union Women; Philadelphia AFT Local 3; National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981(Philadelphia Chapter);The Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, CWA Local 38010; NUHHCE/AFSCME Dist 1199C;  Philadelphia Council AFL –CIO and a host of other labor and progressive organizations.
It is a family celebration and picnic. Hot dogs, burgers, potato chips, assortment of foods and beverages were served to working people and their families at no cost.  Amid the hot dogs and hamburgers there is a serious reason for this celebration: the sacrifice of the working class for the struggle for a decent wage and working conditions in the USA.
In 1886, in Chicago, eight working people; Albert B. Parsons, August Spies, Samuel J. Fielden, Eugene Schwab, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, and Oscar Neebe; were charged with bombing the Haymarket Square. Seven of the defendants were sentenced to be hanged and one, Oscar Neebe, to 15 years imprisonment. “One of the younger defendants Louis Lingg committed suicide (or was murdered by police guards). Parsons Spies Engel and Fischer were hanged on November 11,1887” People all over the world protested. They sent letters and petitions asking for the pardon of the remaining men. “ On June 26,1893,Governor John Peter Altgeld issued his famous pardon message in which he showed “that the defendants were not proven guilty  of the crime.”In pardoning the imprisoned labor leaders, Altgeld stated bluntly that they were completely  innocent and that they be and the hanged men  had been the victims of packed juries and a biased judge.”
“A monument to the martyred labor leaders was unveiled June 25, 1893, nearly six years after their judicial murder. But a greater monument to their memory is the fact that the words “Haymarket Martyrs” have become a symbol of May Day.” May Day has become the symbol of the working peoples struggle for an eight hour day and a decent living wage.
The celebration on Wednesday, May 1,2013, was co hosted by Jim Moran, May Day USA Education and Liz McElroy , Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer .Groups and labor organizations  such as AFSCME DC 33,& DC 47; APWU 89; TWU 234; Helen Gym-Parents United for Public Education, Philadelphia Student Union, Chicago Teachers Union and Cathy Brady- Friends of Elmwood Park &SEIU HCPA.
There was also live music from the rock bands of Mike Stout & The Human Union Band and the K&A Mob; the Hip Hop group Tha Truth; poet, Celeste Preston; singer Dina Yarmus, Alexandria Knox ,a Highland Bagpiper.
The highlight of the event came with the presentation of the Aggie Moran Human Rights Awards .This years recipients were Sonia Sanchez, Philadelphia Poet Laureate, Barbara Rahke,PhilaPOSH,Alice Hoffman ,Labor Historian and Educator, The Restaurant Opportunities Center and a Specai recognition to “The SRC 19” whose take over of the School Reform Commission was considered one of the most heroic acts in Philadelphia Labor History.
 



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