LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday celebrated International Workers Day, also known as May Day, a tradition dating back to the 19th century.
Ahead of numerous rallies and marches planned for Wednesday afternoon, Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez led a presentation on the significance of May Day for workers across the city, saying that in Los Angeles, organizers “always give a unique spin” to the celebrations.
Every year on May 1 — in recognition of the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago and the ongoing movement for workers’ rights — people around the world celebrate the struggles and victories of working class people who make society run, the councilman said.
In Los Angeles, the first big May Day march happened in 2000 hosted by a coalition of labor organizations such as the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights, the Garment Worker Center, the Filipino Worker Center and the Korean Immigrant Workers Alliance.
“Since then the march has transformed into different demands, always centering (on) workers and immigrants, but we also have for Black lives, LGBTQ+ equality, to close the gender pay gap, and so much more,” Soto-Martinez said.
One of this year’s marches will take place in Hollywood — the heart of Soto-Martinez’ 13th District.
“I’m very happy to host them in my district because Hollywood is known around the world as an iconic destination for so many people,” the councilman said. “But the below-the-line workers — the workers that clean those buildings, the immigrants and all the people working from behind the scenes that make all these Hollywood productions — are oftentimes ignored.”
Councilwoman Imelda Padilla of the Sixth District co-led the presentation. Alongside the council members were representatives from CHIRLA, International Alliance of Theatrical State Employees and SEIU United Service Workers West — the union representing janitors, security officers, airport workers and tourism workers.
Padilla expressed her support for the unions’ efforts to obtain higher wages and improved working conditions.
“We want our workers to have a dignified life. So please count on my support as you work to reach a fair contract,” she said.
Alejandra Valles, secretary-treasurer of SEIU USWW, thanked the council members for their recognition, and called on the council to provide higher wages for airport workers through the Living Wage Ordinance and to support janitors, who are attempting to obtain higher wages and improved working conditions.
May Day celebrations were expected to happen throughout the city and county Wednesday.