Friday’s May Day caravan rally in Burlington drew scores of participants who drove down Main Street and through the city in support of “essential workers” and to bring attention to a host of other worker causes.
The International Workers Day event was organized by the Vermont AFL-CIO, Migrant Justice, Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Vermont Workers Center, Rural Vermont, 350Vermont, Vermont Interfaith Action, Peace and Justice Center, Rights and Democracy VT, the Burlington Tenants Union and Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington.
Other caravan rallies took place in Brattleboro and the Upper Valley, according to organizers.
Along with encouraging the passage of a bill providing bonus pay for essential frontline workers, which got state Senate approval Friday, the rally aimed to bring attention to the plight of undocumented workers, specifically that they are not eligible for federal stimulus checks.
The Burlington Tenants Union was also on hand to rally support for a rent strike in the city. The organization is calling for a rent reprieve for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
