Come explore DC’s rich labor history with Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America and the Labor Heritage Foundation. Our tour will visit several landmarks and pay tribute to the past and ongoing struggle of the American working class. You will hear from a broad range of union organizers and labor experts who will impart their decades of knowledge on this walking tour. Learn about the early rise of labor power, the formations of the AFL and CIO, the violent state suppression of workers during World War 1, how workers fought back and won critical concessions through the Great Depression, the corporate conservative retaliation against unions that still impact workers today, the role neoliberal led international trade play in undercutting American labor, and much more.
The tour will meet at Columbus Circle right outside of Union Station at noon on 5/11, then go down to Pennsylvanian Avenue, then up towards Lafayette Square, and end at McPherson Square, roughly ~2.4 miles of walking. We estimate the tour will conclude around 3:00 followed by a Happy Hour.
Tour organized and led by the Metro DC DSA and part of the Labor Heritage Foundation’s annual DC LaborFest. Water and snacks will be provided along the route. Be sure to where walking shoes.