DETROIT (WXYZ) — Union members from across the area gathered Friday at Roosevelt Park in Detroit to mark International Workers' Day, also known as May Day.
The rally, hosted by the AFL-CIO outside Michigan Central in Corktown, was one of many held across metro Detroit and in cities nationwide as part of a long-standing tradition to lift up the working class.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below:
Justin Steenbergh, a member of IBEW Local 58 and the executive board of the AFL-CIO, said the day carries deep meaning for the labor movement.
"May Day is a day to honor workers, to celebrate our history. American history is labor history. The American labor movement had led the world," Steenbergh said.
Steenbergh said he hopes the energy from the rally carries forward.
"I hope people walk away from this energized and ready to stand up for something," Steenbergh said.
Looking ahead, Steenbergh shared his vision for the future of organized labor.
"Really, what I would like to see is unions growing, new unions popping up, new people forming unions," Steenbergh said.
United Auto Workers executives also took the stage to address the battles ahead. Laura Dickerson, UAW vice president over Ford Motor Co., said the work is far from over following recent contract wins.
"This last Stand Up Strike, the workers sacrificed and they were able to get great contracts, but it doesn't stop there — we have to continue," Dickerson said.
UAW Regional 1 Director LaShawn English pointed to May Day 2028 as a rallying point for the union's next chapter.
"May Day, May 1st, 2028… we're going to actually prepare to stand up for May Day 2028, and we're getting ready," English said.
Kevin Moore, president of Teamsters Local 299, said the national scope of this year's May Day events was intentional.
"This May Day is going from city to city all over the country. What it's trying to do is wake up middle class America to get off the couch and be involved," Moore said.
Moore said he was amazed by the turnout at the Detroit rally.
"Every ethnic group is out here, every union's out here… people who are non-union, just activist trying to make aware of what's going on to middle class America in this country," Moore said.
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