On Monday, thousands of union members and others participated in the March, rally and picnics throughout the Los Angeles area and across the country, condemning the Trump administration’s actions, saying they weakened unions and harmed workers while strengthening and inciting large corporations and the wealthy.
The White House announced Monday that President Trump’s actions “reversed decades of neglect and finally put American workers first” by rewriting tax laws and creating a better economic environment for businesses.
His critics say he has hurt individual workers in historic ways by destroying the government and labor union infrastructure established to protect workers.
Participants in the massive Wilmington rally and parade organized by the Los Angeles County Labor Federation united an ordinary enemy: Trump.
“Donald Trump and others linked typical Labor Day rhetoric to immigration attacks,” said state Sen. Maria Elena Dulazo (D-Los Angeles). “This Labor Day, we have a U.S. president who took parents from their children and workers.”
Durazo said the raids were no longer about border security, but “breaking the backbone of our economy and intimidating families.”
“Fighting for workers’ rights means fighting for immigration rights,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of Chirla, immigration advocacy group.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration marks Labor Day by praising American workers and drawing attention to new trade policies, including widespread tariffs, aimed at spurring manufacturing back to the United States.
“Every day, my administration is restoring the dignity of labor and putting American workers first,” Trump said in his Labor Day announcement. “We are making it easier to buy America and hire Americans, breathe new lives into our manufacturing cities, and ensure fair trade deals that protect our jobs and reward our productivity. … Under my leadership, we bring work back to the United States – those jobs will bring to American-born workers.”
Tariff chaos in ports
The impact of tariffs and their uneven rollouts has been widely debated, including within Trump’s Republican Party, although the Republican-controlled Congress has not taken action to stop them.
International Longshore and Southern California District Council President Mickey Chavez said Monday that Trump’s tariffs and their threats triggered unpredictable boom and destruction cycles in Los Angeles’ ports.
After the Wilmington parade, the Alliance foreman stood under the tent of Ilwu with his French bulldog Gucci, describing the rapid fluctuations of emotions in the nearby Union Hall (ILWU) members waiting for work.
“It’s more confusing than tariffs, and most importantly,” Chavez said. “Either the workers really have to do a lot of work because they’re trying to beat the tariffs, or [Trump] More tariffs were proposed and work was slowed down. ”
Uncertainty makes it difficult for workers to plan, especially those at the lowest level, to the greatest extent.
“If he sends a tweet or makes a decision, we will never know if he will go to work, so it keeps changing.”
Chavez’s great-grandfather first joined the union in the 1940s, and his family has worked in the port since then. But he had never experienced anything like this before, working there so relies on a single man’s whimsical idea.
Trump bans most federal negotiations
On the same day as Labor Day announcement, Trump issued an order prohibiting collective bargaining at the International Trade Administration and the Department of Commerce’s Patent and Trademark Office; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services, and the National Weather Service; and NASA and the US global media agency.
Trump believes national security concerns provide legal reasons for unilateral statutes. The latest action is in the case of a March order prohibiting collective bargaining in most federal labor force, with the same justification.
The union immediately filed a lawsuit, putting Trump’s lawsuit on hold.
A study by the left-leaning Center for Progress estimated that Trump’s orders have deprived 82% of civilian federal workers of bargaining. The total number of workers Trump has signed contracts has been abolished, with an estimated 15 American workers covered by union contracts.
In addition, Trump fired Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Commission, despite the National Labor Relations Act providing for board members to serve for five years, and her term did not end until August 2028. Her dismissal paralyzed the Labor Commission and paralyzed the Labor Commission. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block her as part of an ongoing lawsuit.
At least one spokesperson at the Wilmington rally spoke of the need for organized labor support for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to remake the state congressional district to turn Republicans from Republicans to five seats in the Democratic Party, a strategy to offset the action taken in Texas, which was done the opposite on Trump.
Workforce groups have abandoned millions of dollars and are committed to leading the strength of voters.
Unlike Texas, Newsom’s plan must be approved by voters, who will have the opportunity to vote for Proposition 50.
State Representative Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) said in the Wilmington incident that measures in the ballot box were essential because Trump had “destroyed the structure of the workforce movement” in his second term.
California Republicans noted that the measure eliminated reforms aimed at making the California region more representative and competitive. Opponents of revengeful Lemander include former California State Government Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The resonance of the festival
In Wilmington, rallies and parades maintained the festive atmosphere despite thousands of union members and allies being fired.
On a truck in the front of the parade, Bob Marley and Wailers sing, dance with elected officials, singing the right to the speakers.
Hammerhead cranes at nearby port facilities spread across the horizon, posters and t-shirts in crowds advertise membership in the letter soup of union locals.
Kids sharing space with political flyers in oversized vans blow up the bubble, and teenage girls from the spinning POM-POM from the local high school.
A huge shiny black truck with the badge of the team badge, a driver lifted his teeth with one hand and grabbed the cigar tightly between his teeth and pulled a top horn with the other. Representatives of the local branch of the Metalworkers Union carried an elaborately welded brown California bear at the back of the truck.
Along with carpenters, nurses and dock workers, there are also representatives from the entertainment industry union, representing actors, writers and production workers.
The entire South and the country gathered together under the banner of partnerships between labor, politics and environmental organizations. The targets of the rally include federal agencies conducting immigration attacks, including U.S. immigration and customs enforcement.
“Billionaires continue to wage war against workers, and their relatives in government, ice and law enforcement support their attacks,” the organizer’s toolkit said. “On this Labor Day, we will continue to be strong, defeating private profits for public schools, hedge funds for health care, and shouldering political prosperity for billionaires.”
