Grand Rapids, MI rallies on International Workers’ Day
Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids May Day Committee organized a rally commemorating International Workers Day, Saturday, May 2, at Fountain Street Church.
Co-hosted by the May Day Committee chair, Tom Burke of IATSE 26, along with Ivan Diaz, candidate for Michigan State Senate District 29, the event started with songs of solidarity by Carsten Forester of AFM Local 56. After the music, local labor leaders and community activists spoke on meeting the attacks from the Trump administration. Many focused on standing in solidarity with immigrants and fellow workers.
Tom Burke told attendees, “We are coming together with unions and community leaders to stand with the workers of the world. We oppose the ICE raids and deportations being pushed by the Trump administration.”
Burke continued, “We celebrate the great victory of the unions and activists in Minneapolis/Saint Paul who forced President Trump and ICE to back down. We stand together with our immigrant neighbors in West Michigan. An injury to one, is an injury to all!”
A trio of educators from the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA), Noemi Tobar Arellano, Kaitlyn Holmwood and Lucas Southwell, spoke of the devastating impact of ICE on the students and families in the community. They emphasized that it takes a village to raise a child and it will take a village to fight Trump's agenda.
Eduardo Montiel of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression introduced Andrica Cage, the mother of Samuel Sterling, who is a man murdered by the Michigan State Police. Cage stated, “When you see me out here fighting, come stand with me.”
Next, Tom Nieboer of IWW and AFSCME 435 reminded the audience that, “Unions bring power to the workers. It's time for workers to bring power to the unions!” After his speech, Lily Cheng Schulting, candidate for Michigan House District 80, inquired of all those elected, “When the power structures come to attack you, will you stand strong?”
Finally, special guest and candidate for U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, was introduced by IATSE 26-member, Josh Roskamp.
El-Sayed took the stage, starting with call and response chants. One of these chants was “Money out of?” and the crowd would respond with “Politics!” His remarks came at a time of rising prices and worsening cost of living crisis exacerbated by President Trump’s war on Iran. Speaking poignantly, he declared that “We have to take our democracy from the corporations who tell us what we cannot have,” and “We must build together with unlikely allies to achieve it.”
Closing out the event, Tom Burke again raised the call, “Solidarity!”