May 1, 2009 4:51 pm US/Central
May Day Rally Smaller, But Message Gets Out
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A smaller May Day march in Chicago was attributed in part to flu concerns.
CBS
Flu concerns may have kept bigger crowds away from a May Day rally.
Police tell CBS 2 the turnout was substantially lower than in past years. But as Suzanne Le Mignot reports, marchers still got their message out.
Chanting "Yes, we can," about 2,000 marchers called for reform in immigrant and worker rights.
Many held signs calling for an end to immigrant raids. Others carried the world on their shoulders, symbolizing the impact working immigrants have around the globe.
"We contribute to this country, we work hard in this country," marcher Ribelino Martinez said. "Everybody deserves the right to be a part of a union and be part of a new system that should be working for all the workers in this country."
"When there's a group of workers who are not protected by the laws in the same way as other workers … that hurts all workers," said Erica Hade of SEIU Local 1. "We want to see an even playing field for all workers."
Last year, nearly 6,000 people took to the streets. One organizer said low turnout may be due to the flu outbreak and bad weather. Marcher Doris Aeuirre said she was wearing a mask for two reasons – for fear of the H1N1 virus and that immigration officials would see her face.
The flu scare and rain wasn't keeping marchers like Aleksandra Figus away. Figus, a Polish immigrant, came to Chicago in the 1970s. She says the path to citizenship should be made easier for those who work and contribute to the American economy.
"I was a lucky one because it was only two years," she said. "Some people are waiting for the relatives for so many years, like 10 years."
Two of the largest worker groups in the United States, the AFL-CIO and Change to Win, recently came to an agreement on a framework for immigration reform.
Both groups are reaching out to President Obama and Congress. As one person with SEIU Local 1 told me, the goal is to see the economy work for working people -- not just, people at the top.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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