Opinion: Unprecedented solidarity needed now in Philadelphia 

In this op-ed, Philadelphia AFL-CIO President Daniel Bauder urges “unprecedented solidarity” to defend workers’ rights and ensure justice during a national political moment that threatens the livelihoods of Philadelphians.

We Philadelphians have a reputation for being prideful. We love our sports teams, win or lose (but sometimes with more losses than wins), we love our city’s rich culture and delicious food, and we are obsessed with movies and shows that take place within the 215. Philadelphia, to us, is the center of the universe—and the popular meme that pops up every once in a while doesn’t quell that sentiment. 

Our city is rich in history. Depending on which neighborhood you are in, you could throw a rock and hit four different historical landmarks. Our city was the cradle of our nation’s democracy, and throughout our nation’s nearly 250 years of history, pebbles thrown in our Philadelphia pond have rippled throughout the country. 

And the labor movement in our city is no different. Some of the nation’s very first labor organizing took place here in Philly, with the Shoemakers establishing the first closed union shop in 1794. Strike funds, given to striking workers while they are on strike, were created out of necessity by the Philadelphia Carpenters Company. Even in more recent years, legislation like the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which passed out of City Hall in 2019, has served as model legislation throughout the country for domestic workers seeking workplace protections. 

In the wake of the 2024 election and with the dawn of the second Trump administration, I, like much of the labor movement, had to take a step back and re-evaluate where we are and how we got here. And now, with former President Joe Biden’s most pro-labor administration in recent history left to the history books, replaced by a vindictive man with a grudge against organized labor and funded by a cadre of union-busting billionaires, our movement has reached an impasse about our future. 

There is enough finger-pointing to go around. The blame game is pointless. Actions are priceless. 

Our labor movement is not funded by tech giants, CEOs, or millionaires looking to increase their share of the pie. Our movement, here in Philly and beyond, is fueled by the hard-working folks of the labor movement, the ones who show up every day and do the work, fight the fight, and know why there is room for yo(u) and I in the union.  

Union members know what the union difference means; they live it every day. It means higher wages, better healthcare, a more consistent work schedule, and a safer workplace. Having a union and being a part of the labor movement means that behind one single individual who may be seeking justice, there is an entire worker-led movement, one built on small d democracy and protecting our rights, that is behind them. A movement ready to stand up and fight for each other, no matter the battle.  

It is about showing up for your fellow workers when they need you, whether you share or understand their struggle. 

It is about solidarity. 

More and more people in labor, in the Democratic party and beyond, are going to start talking about “unprecedented times” and the need for unprecedented actions. 

I raise to you a different challenge: 

Unprecedented solidarity.

Unprecedented solidarity with immigrant workers and protecting them and their families no matter what. 

Unprecedented solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ siblings and advocating for policies and legislation that protect their rights and safety at work and home.  

And of course, unprecedented solidarity with our federal worker siblings; who show up every day to do the jobs that run our country, who now face the risk of losing their incomes for simply disagreeing with the President. 

There is a chant that you’ll often hear on a picket line that goes like this:

“When worker’s rights are under attack, what do we do?” 

“Stand up! Fight back!”  

I do not know what the next four years will bring, and anyone who does would probably buy a beach house in Idaho. What I do know is that Philadelphia and the Philadelphia labor movement have been the incubators of Democracy and democracy since the birth of our nation and have been on the frontline of workers’ rights and protections for nearly as long.  

I have no intention of leaving that legacy behind.