We Are One Rallies across Alaska

On Monday, April 4th, Alaska held what may be the biggest labor rally in recent history. From accounts out of each city, we believe that just under 2,000 people came out to support the workers in their community! The day was about Martin Luther King Jr., about workers, and about community.

When Dr. King was in Memphis in 1968, he was there to support black sanitation workers who were on strike. When the black workers would be sent home for bad weather, they were paid what they worked - the white workers were paid for a full day. That is just one example of the Civil Rights struggle meeting with the labor movement. And Dr. King died for it. 

As the divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" grows greater, we need to remember that there is power in unity. While conservative talk show hosts make twice as us and yet shame the workers, we can hold our heads high and know that we are not the hypocrites. All we expect is job safety, livable wages, health care, and a sense of security after we have devoted our lives to our jobs. 

This isn't just about union workers either. It's about our community doing better. And when we all do better...we all do better! Regardless of a workers union status, we know that everyone should and needs to be  treated with respect on the job. And when a politician starts going after union workers, who's next? 

We Are One rallies happened in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Soldotna and Wasilla. Each town had hundreds attend and we are working to get the pictures up as quickly as possible. (Click here to go to the photo gallery.) Not only did we join with workers across the state, but across the United States.