CHICAGO—The International Association of Machinists, as part of their Women and Young Workers Conference in Chicago this week, staged a “Workers vs. Billionaires” march and rally. Over 400 union members and their allies marched out of the Palmer House Hotel and down Michigan Avenue chanting, “Hands off the working class!”
Shantale, a young woman from Local 2909 in Oklahoma City, told People’s World, while marching, that she came to the conference to learn how to organize on the floor to make her union stronger and get more young women involved in the leadership.
“We are here marching because if we don’t fight the billionaires, the working class will get poorer while the billionaires are getting richer. We are and need to keep putting it on the streets and the polls to change our country and elect pro-labor candidates,” she said.
The rally was kicked off by Joshua Charlier, a labor youth leader, by stating that every young worker needs a role model and he found his within the IAM.
“The IAM is building a movement where all generations are moving forward to protect and expand workers’ rights,” Charlier declared. “The dignity and laws our ancestors fought for are being taken away by the billionaire class, leaving us with less and less. We have to mobilize our members, our families, our neighbors to get our voice heard. This is our moment and our movement.
Genie Kastrup, the first woman president of SEIU Local 1, leads 50,000 workers across the Midwest. “Billionaires may have the money, but we have the young workers power, women power, and union power,” Kastrup said.
“I am proud that SEIU and IAM have joined together to organize the 100,000-plus gig workers across Illinois who drive for Uber and Lyft. The workers showed up in the state capital, in Springfield, and changed state law to allow ride share drivers to organize. They fought and won, which shows the power of the labor movement.”
She ended by leading a chant of “We have the power, Union power!”
Sam Cisinelli started as a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership and is now the Midwest leader of IAM, the union’s district. “Throughout our history, nothing was given; every right we have we fought for. Now more than ever we need you, the women and young workers to lead us into tomorrow.
“We get respect by fighting on the shop floor and at the polls. Make sure to register and vote and get everyone you know registered and voting. You want to keep your union rights and protections then go get votes for labor,” Cisinelli urged the crowd.
Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1, thanked IAM for offering their support to the 7,000 hotel workers in Chicago who are working without a contract but have authorized a strike.
She said these workers voted for a strike because 1 out of 3 of them have to use a food pantry to feed their families and a quarter rely on payday loans, paying exorbitant fees in order to get from one paycheck to another.
The union members erupted in chants of “That ain’t right.”
“We are in a dog fight, but the wealthy corporations will understand that every day we are getting stronger. We will win our fight for wage increases and benefits and workplace protections,” Kent said.
Arnie, a bellman at the Palmer House, told People’s World he has been preparing his family for this strike, telling them, “We will kick the bosses’ butts.”
Jody Bennett, a 30-year aircraft mechanic and General Vice President of IAM, spoke of how without women and young workers there would be no labor movement. He lambasted President Donald Trump for his broken promises of lower food, gas, and electricity prices.
“If Trump is speaking, he is lying,” Bennett said. “The billionaires can fuck off, because we are going to kick their asses. We are going to do this because IAM is united with SEIU in organizing the rideshare drivers.”
He urged the women to use rideshare apps and request a female driver not only for being safer but to also have a chance to encourage her to join the union. “We stand in solidarity with the hotel workers who clean our hotel rooms, bathrooms, and more. Our fucking time is now. We are tired of broken promises, we are due our share of the wealth!”
Dana Broussard, Local 1782 shop steward at Southwest Airlines in Sacramento, summed up the conference and the rally:
“For many of us, this is our first national meeting, and we are here to learn how to build up a rank-and-file movement in the union and at the polls. This is about being able to feed my daughter and send her to college. This is about fighting for the working class.”
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