For AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Labor Day was never just about parades and barbecues. It has always been about reminding Americans that the rights workers enjoy today — from overtime pay to workplace safety — were fought for, not handed down. That message became the rallying cry on Monday as Shuler and labor leaders across the country led thousands of workers into the streets under the banner of “Workers Over Billionaires.”
The protests, organized by the AFL-CIO alongside dozens of advocacy groups and unions, were designed to spotlight what Shuler calls a dangerous tilt of political power toward the wealthy under President Donald Trump. The coalition says more than 1,000 events are taking place this week, from rallies and marches to community picnics, as workers push back against corporate influence and what they describe as anti-worker policies.
“Every single thing working people have won for ourselves in this country’s history — it’s not because we asked those in power,” Shuler said in a fiery address ahead of the holiday. “It’s because we fought for them relentlessly.”
In her speeches, Shuler has been quick to connect those dots, reminding audiences that Trump’s economic policies — from tax cuts to deregulation — have overwhelmingly benefited the wealthiest Americans while leaving working families to fight over fewer resources.
That message reverberated across the country on Monday. In New York, protesters outside Trump Tower demanded a $30 minimum wage while staging a satirical “restaurant in the street” featuring tacos and Trump costumes. In Chicago, demonstrations zeroed in on Trump’s threats to “straighten out” the city with federal law enforcement. Stacy Davis Gates of the Chicago Teachers Union put it plainly: “We’re not asking for a militarized force. We’re asking for SNAP benefits to be restored. We’re asking for the Department of Education to be funded and resourced.”
The White House has dismissed the criticism, with spokespersons Taylor Rogers and Karoline Leavitt both insisting that Trump has been the best president for working Americans in decades. Leavitt described Trump as “a voice of the working class,” saying his agenda “puts them first always.”
But for Shuler, the day wasn’t about dueling press releases. It was about putting workers back at the center of the story. By linking union halls to city streets, and folding teachers, nurses, restaurant staff, and small-town organizers into one coalition, she sought to show that organized labor is alive, restless, and ready to fight.
“Labor Day has to be more than a holiday,” Shuler told union members last week. “It has to be a reminder that workers built this country, and we will keep fighting for the dignity and respect every one of us deserves.”
