On May 1, 1886, thousands of anarchists, socialists, and rank-and-file workers marched up Michigan Avenue to fight for an eight-hour workday.
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As in 1886, the length of the workday is a primary concern. According to Landaverde, day laborers often work 16 hours a day, in substandard conditions, without hope of union representation and without benefits of any kind. He says nonpayment or partial payment of wages is not uncommon and undocumented workers can’t speak out for fear of deportation. “These are not people usually involved in politics, they’re just hungry,” says Landaverde. “They are people reduced to slavery because they are looking for food.”
According to a September survey by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, 75 percent of people in shelters worked at day labor, and more than 95 percent of these workers wanted a permanent full-time position. Unfortunately, they may be trapped by day labor–many agencies pay minimum wage and require their workers to sign waivers forbidding them to accept these jobs as permanent.
The “Protest of Global Capital and Corporate Dominance” begins at 8 AM May 1 at the Chicago Board of Trade, LaSalle and Jackson. This rally will head east to join the Day Labor Strike at Grant Park. For information, call the Eighth Day Center for Justice at 312-641-5151.
