Skip to main content

Coverage of Labor Day 2014

Jeremy Sprinkle
Social share icons

Labor Sabbath and #TalkUnion

Beginning bright and early Labor Day morning in Raleigh’s Nash Square - after a weekend during which people of faith spoke up for labor unions in over 30 worship services across North Carolina as part of the first-annual “Labor Sabbath” effort - a McDonald's worker with Raise Up for 15 joined a worker from Mountaire Farms - where the largest unionization campaign in North Carolina of 2,000 poultry workers is currently underway - for a press conference with NC NAACP President and leader of the Forward Together Movement Rev. William Barber, NC State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan, Durham Congregations in Action Executive Director Rev. Spencer Bradford, and Raleigh/Apex NAACP Branch President Rev. Portia Rochelle.

"If ever a Monday needed a moral makeover, it's Labor Day," said MaryBe McMillan:

The news conference in Raleigh served to kick-off a 3-city tour on Labor Day that highlighted how North Carolina workers are finding hope to raise wages and defend workers’ rights in difficult economic and political times by taking collective action through labor unions and Moral Monday.

View photos from the Raleigh #TalkUnion kickoff.

The #TalkUnion Tour also stopped in Greensboro, where a Wendy's worker joined a member of Working America and Rev. T. Anthony Spearman to testify about the practical and moral imperative of talking about and supporting unions on Labor Day.

See photos from the Greensboro stop of the #TalkUnion tour.

The tour wrapped up with a Moral Monday Labor Day rally in Charlotte's Marshall Park.

#TalkUnion video clips

Share these videos on Facebook:

"If ever a Monday needed a moral makeover, it's Labor Day!" - MaryBe McMillan

"There's a simple fix to inequality, and it's not rocket science." - MaryBe McMillan

"When clergy even in NC #TalkUnion, "you know a new day is dawning." - MaryBe McMillan

"Together we can make our voices heard!" - Kimberly Titlebaum, Working America

Press Clips

Here's a recap of the coverage of the Labor Sabbath and #TalkUnion effort for Labor Day 2014:

A call for congregations to observe Labor Sabbath
http://www.heraldsun.com/news/showcase/x143264543/A-call-for-congregations-to-observe-Labor-Sabbath

Observing the Labor Sabbath This Weekend
http://www.ncfan.org/blog/2014/8/25/observing-the-labor-sabbath-this-weekend.html

Observing 'Labor Sabbath' this Labor Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOW-Xn2-SdI

Clergy Says ‘Labor Union’ Aren’t Bad Words
http://wunc.org/post/clergy-says-labor-union-aren-t-bad-words

Can You Be a Christian and Be in a Labor Union?
http://womenadvancenc.org/can-you-be-a-christian-and-be-in-a-labor-union/

The Battle For Labor Unions In North Carolina
http://wunc.org/post/battle-labor-unions-north-carolina

Activists in Raleigh promote increasing minimum wage, unions
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/09/01/4115119_laboring-for-labor-day-group-promotes.html

Labor Day marked by Moral Monday tour, new “State of Working North Carolina” report
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2014/09/01/labor-day-marked-by-moral-monday-tour-new-state-of-working-north-carolina-report/

Hundreds March in Annual Labor Day Parade
http://centralnc.twcnews.com/content/news/charlotte/711349/hundreds-march-in-annual-labor-day-parade/

Labor Day: A "Moral Monday" makeover is needed
http://www.indyweek.com/citizen/archives/2014/09/01/labor-day-a-moral-monday-makeover-is-needed

MaryBe McMillan with the NC AFL-CIO discusses policies that can help address the economic divide, and build a stronger state
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2014/08/31/marybe-mcmillan-with-the-nc-affl-cio-discusses-policies-that-can-help-address-the-economic-divide-and-build-a-stronger-state/

WGHP Fox 8 (Greensboro): http://bit.ly/1pU2cYY

WYDO Fox (Greenville): http://bit.ly/1pU2hvD

TWC News 14 (Raleigh): http://bit.ly/1pU2jnm

WRAL CBS (Raleigh): http://bit.ly/1pU2mzC

WPTF News Radio 680 (Raleigh): http://bit.ly/1pU2peA

WILM CBS (Wilmington): http://bit.ly/1pU2wH6

WSFX Fox (Wilmington): http://bit.ly/1pU2xLi

WWAY ABC (Wilmington): http://bit.ly/1pU2zD0

Additional clips:

http://www.whlt.com/story/26417612/union-naacp-plan-3-labor-day-rallies-across-nc

http://www.wcti12.com/news/moral-monday-tour-in-nc/27830666

http://www.nbc4i.com/story/26417610/union-naacp-plan-3-labor-day-rallies-across-nc

http://abc11.com/news/union-naacp-hold-3-labor-day-rallies-across-nc/289617/

http://charlotte.twcnews.com/content/politics/711344/union-leaders--naacp-hold-three-labor-day-rallies-across-nc/

http://centralnc.twcnews.com/content/news/all_nc_news/711357/statewide-labor-day-rallies-end-in-charlotte/