Labor Day Protest Planned In Somerset County: 'Workers Over Billionaires'

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ — A "Workers Over Billionaires" Labor Day rally is being planned for noon to 1:30 p.m. at the corner of Route 22 and West End Avenue in North Plainfield on Monday, Sept. 1.

Here’s why protesters will be hitting the streets, organizers said:

“Labor and community, along with Indivisible and other partners, are planning more than a barbecue on Labor Day this year because we have to stop the billionaire takeover. Billionaires are converting the government into their private slush fund and just passed the largest wealth giveaway in the history of the U.S. The money they take from working families, they put in billionaires’ pockets and set aside to fund a private army of ICE agents. Just like any bad boss, the way we stop the takeover is with collective action. We are ordinary citizens and working people rising up to stop the billionaire takeover–not just through the ballot box or the courts, but through building a bigger and stronger movement. We are growing our movement and fighting for a country that is more fair, just, equitable, and free for all of us—and not just a chosen few. On September 1, we will continue the movement, standing in solidarity with all our communities under attack and fighting for real wins for all our people.”

Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.

The holiday is rooted in the late 19th century, when union activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the contributions that workers have made to America’s “strength, prosperity and well-being,” the U.S. Department of Labor says.

— With reporting by Eric Kiefer