Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" I'm Anne Johnson, a school teacher in the Time of COVID-19. If you can do this job, under these circumstances, without resort to magic, you are a better person than me.
But La Di Dah! I got two shots, and I've got a copper bracelet, and I have hung vulture feathers at my front door! COVID can't touch me!
Well, okay, it can. I just hope that when it does, it flicks me lightly, rather than walloping me with a blunt instrument.
Never mind that. Last Monday was Labor Day! And you know what that means, right? Philadelphia's annual Communist, Socialist, Godless, Corrupt and Overpaid Union Get-Together!
Just kidding with all those adjectives. Big Business wants people to hate unions so that the businessmen can go on being rich on the backs of their workers. And that would be a nope. Public sentiment for unions is actually improving. Hooray!
So, without further sermon, here are some photos I snapped at the AFL-CIO Labor Day Parade in Philadelphia on September 6. Here is the float that got things started.
You see that blue sky? The weather was gorgeous.
Here is a card-carrying Socialist in the crowd.
The red shirt is a coincidence, because the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (plus that one pesky blogger from New Jersey) also wear red.
My shirt says #redfored, which is our teacher motto.
Every year the union puts up a big banner at Penn's Landing.
And then all the various unions -- identified by their shirts, enjoy the use of Penn's Landing (with free burgers and fries) for four hours. I think these are Boilermakers.
Every union has its own matching t-shirts, often with meaningful slogans on the back.
Here's the Communications Workers of America. That's the union Mr. J belonged to.
This year the AFL-CIO gave out beach towels. That's what the dude is holding.
And you will never guess who I ran into there. The Monkey Man! He rode to the parade on his bike, with Monkey in tow, and we enjoyed a nice chat by the Delaware River. It's always good to see him!
The sunlight made it hard to get a good shot, but you get the picture.
It was great to get out into the sun with my union brothers and sisters. Needless to say this didn't happen last year. But we're back!
And guess what else is back? The Mummers Parade! In some form. I put down a deposit on a dress.
3 comments:
Looks like a beautiful day and a good time! Here in Edmonton, the union movement celebrates Labour Day with a big free picnic in a local park. Actual parades or marches are rare. The last time I went to a union Labour Day parade was in 1994 in Winnipeg -- they were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.
Fellow Union sister here! Now retired but still consider myself a proud member. Our shirts are kelly green which is a terrible color for me but I wore it with pride anyway. Love that slogan from the Communications union!
I still have the union tshirt you sent me years ago..it's faden and stretched out but makes a great night shirt
Post a Comment