Hundreds of UE members took to the streets during the second day of the 79th UE Convention, shining a light on the role of a local Chicago billionaire, Valor Equity CEO Antonio Gracias, in engineering a massive transfer of resources into the pockets of corporations and the wealthy.

Trump’s recent budget bill diverts $213 billion from Medicaid, Social Security, public education, and other programs that benefit working people. UE members rallied outside of a Valor Equity investment property, presenting Gracias with an invoice for America’s billionaires to return that $213 billion to the public.

Congressman Garcia.

“At a time when billionaires and their bought-out politicians are looting public programs and attacking the very workers who keep this country going, we’re drawing a line,” said Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, who addressed the rally. Other speakers at the rally included UE rank-and-file members Dominic Harris, Local 150, Evan Yamaguchi, Local 1103, and Ramona Malczynski, Local 1466, along with speakers from the Chicago Teachers Union, Grassroots Collaborative, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

In the afternoon following the rally, UE Director of Organization Mark Meinster gave the Organizing Report. Delegates heard from municipal workers in Portsmouth and Norfolk, VA who are organizing to join UE; a leader of the UE organizing committee at the Wabtec plant in Fort Worth, TX; and postdocs at Northwestern University, who are voting in an election to join UE today and tomorrow. Graduate workers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute spoke about their ongoing struggle for a first contract.

A delegation from Local 300-CGSU addresses the convention as part of the Organizing Report.

A five-person delegation from UE Local 300-Cornell Graduate Students United described both the groundbreaking wins in their first UE contract and the actions they are taking to enforce it. And the co-chair of the New Seasons Labor Union in Portland, OR told delegates how they had successfully organized in a worker-to-worker, militant, and rank and file-led manner, and had chosen to affiliate their independent union with UE because UE recognizes the power of worker militancy and isn’t afraid to take strong stands on issues. Each of the organizing guests was introduced by a rank-and-file members from an existing local who helped support their organizing.

Senator Sanders.

In the morning, UE delegates heard from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who told delegates that those who want to increase their own wealth and power have used the same playbook throughout history of getting working people to blame “powerless minorities” for their problems, which Sanders called “a means to deflect attention from the people who are really causing the crises, the people who have the power, the people who own the society.” Following his remarks, Senator Sanders engaged UE members in a lively discussion about the political crisis facing the working class.

Delegates also considered and approved resolutions on restoring the right to strike, the fight for higher education, collective bargaining rights for public workers, organizing, labor law reform, and independent rank-and-file political action.