Here’s today’s labor history:
On this date in 1991, more than 325,000 trade unionists and allies from around the country held a Solidarity Day demonstration here in Washington, to call for national healthcare reform, a ban on striker replacements, and full freedom of association for workers around the world. The marchers also demanded civil rights, fair trade, workplace safety, and attention to the nation’s decaying cities and infrastructure. The rally – an AFL-CIO-led coalition of more than 180 religious, environmental, civil rights and labor organizations -- was held on the 10th anniversary of the first Solidarity Day in 1981.
Today’s labor quote is by AFL-CIO president Lane Kirkland:
"We're here to insist that democratic government -- the White House, the Congress and the courts -- must assure fair play for all, not just those with the most money, the most luck or the strongest bootstraps." Lane Kirkland, who said "We're here to remind our elected representatives that they were put there to serve, not the faceless marketplace, but the aspirations of real people."
Kirkland was president of the AFL-CIO from 1979 to 1995.