By Fellow Workers EV and G
Comrades and FWs, Greetings: We went up to Mt. Vernon on May Day to march in Solidarity with the independent farm workers’ union Familias Unidas por la Justicia, and it was inspirational. Several hundred FUJ members and about 20 IWWs showed up to celebrate in Solidarity, along with many trade unionists, community action groups, DSA members, and other sympathetic outfits.
The Wobblies were asked to lead the attendees in a round of Solidarity Forever before we started marching. We passed out lyrics, pulled out our Little Red Songbooks, and belted it out as best we could. It was certainly a joyful noise and set a vigilant and fun tone for the march.
The Bellingham group C2C (Community to Community), the international Filipinex group BAYAN, and many other local people walked from Edgewater Park in Mt. Vernon four miles to the city of Burlington, picking up other marchers along the way. The organizers of the march ensured that safety monitors and support people kept the walkers out of traffic and supplied with water and light snacks. The union was also proudly demonstrating the power of concluding a successful lightning strike on the flower growers in the area just prior to the opening of the Tulip Festival, winning demands for recognition, updated health and safety standards, and protective equipment while harvesting in the fields.
When this outfit walks a picket, the whole family comes along, living up to their name. Workers bring their children, Grandparents, friends, and family and act together. Babies in strollers and a few pets came along too, and the march itself was an act of Solidarity, people helping each other along to achieve a goal. Seeing children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents marching together gave us hope for the future and pride for our past.
After so long in isolation due to Covid and the machinations of misleading politicians it was both invigorating and humbling to see so many people marching together for Labor. Marchers spanned generations, backgrounds, and ideologies, but they marched together.
It was a good May Day.
Seattle Industrial Workers of the World 