Today is the first of May, or as it is known in many countries – International Workers Day. The North Dakota AFL-CIO and leaders of the political group Indivisible joined forces for a worker’s rally in downtown Fargo this afternoon. North Dakota AFL-CIO President, ,Ashley Gaschk, says while it’s called International Workers Day, it’s something that hasn’t really gained a strong hold in the U-S, despite it’s U-S origins dating back to 1886 and the fight to create the 8-hour work day…
“…A labor federation had set May 1st, 1886, as their goal to have passed an 8-hour day, which is an ambitious goal because, at that point, private sector employees didn’t even have the legal right to join a labor union. There was nothing in stopping an employer from firing workers who joined together and tried to bargain on the job.”
Gaschk says with those origins in mind they marked the day with a “Workers Over Billionaires” march through downtown Fargo. The march ended with a rally in Broadway Square in downtown Fargo. The site is at the base of the RDO Building. The tower was developed by the Kilbourne Group and RDO. The Kilbourne Group was created by former Governor and current U-S Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Gaschk says this is where the collaboration with the group Indivisible comes in…
“…which has been very active organizing protests around, “No Kings.” But doing a little different event where we are kind of on Secretary Burgum’s ‘turf’, and asking him to help stand up for workers, stand up for the people of North Dakota instead of the billionaire interests that seem to have the attention of our lawmakers and are getting richer while the rest of us are in a cost of living crisis.”
Gaschk says that cost of living crisis has impacted all of North Dakota whether it be affordable housing, child daycare, or the cost of groceries. Gaschk says while corporations are posting record earnings, that is not a success being shared with the workers.
