BOSTON — Union members, elected officials and community supporters are expected to gather in Copley Square on Monday, Sept. 7, for Boston’s second annual Labor Day parade.
Organized by the Greater Boston Labor Council, the event will focus on election protections, economic relief and what organizers describe as billionaire accountability. The parade is being held under the banner “Workers Over Billionaires.”
The march is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. at Copley Square Park and follow Dartmouth Street to Commonwealth Avenue before returning to Copley Square. A speaking program is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at Copley Square Park, where entertainment and food trucks will also be available.
Confirmed participants include Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, according to the Greater Boston Labor Council.
Organizers said the event will highlight workers’ concerns about wages, the rising cost of living and the influence of corporate wealth in American politics. Participants are also expected to call for protections for voting rights.
“This event is a celebration of working people who face growing frustration as their paychecks fail to keep up with the cost of living month after month — and who want to protect democracy,” the Greater Boston Labor Council said in a statement. “Workers see the connection between runaway wealth and an economy that makes it harder and harder to get by every day, and they are taking action.”
Before the march, a coalition of health care workers representing several unions plans to rally outside Bain Capital at 200 Clarendon Street. Organizers said the demonstration will focus on workers’ ongoing calls for fair pay and treatment at Mass General Brigham.
The parade will also feature union members and supporters from across the region, along with musical and dance performances. Scheduled performers include the Boston Pops Gospel Choir, the Boston Public Schools All Star Marching Band, the Boston Musicians Union Marching Band, Lil Phunk, the Good Trouble Brass Band and the Pipes and Drums of the Edmonton Police Service.
The Canadian pipe and drum group is performing as part of a memorial tour marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, organizers said. The tour is scheduled to conclude in New York on Sept. 11.
Music and parade lineup activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. in Copley Square, with the procession stepping off at 10:00 a.m. The event is expected to conclude around noon.
