Rock out with your cause out

By Frank Bi

On Labor Day, the Service Employees International Union held its first “Take Back Labor Day” concert on Harriet Island in St. Paul, a concert the union hopes to make an annual event.

Featuring a notable set list that included Grammy-winner hip-hop artist Mos Def, and former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, the union hoped to raise awareness about the problems currently facing labor unions in the United States while the Republican Party took center stage at the Xcel Energy Center across the river.

“Labor unions are a fundamental component of democracy,” folk-country musician Steve Earle said, which was followed by immediate applause.

The Service Employee’s International Union, or SEIU, represents more than two million workers.

“People in the west only work four and a half days a week, they want two coffee breaks and they must have no discomfort. If you want to know why that is, it is because of unions,” said English musician Billy Bragg.

“I have a feeling this land is not made for war criminals in the White House,” Morello said to a politically charged crowd.

Besides musicians comments, other forms of protest directed at the Republican National Convention included homemade signs and a banner that read “Healthcare For All” that could be seen from the Xcel Energy Center, according to SEIU’s secretary-treasurer Anna Burger, could be seen from the Xcel Energy Center.

There were also guest speeches by David Gilbert-Pederson, 17, the youngest DFL delegate, Andy Stern, president of SIEU, and Burger.

“We believe in the American dream,” Burger said. “We believe in people who work hard, and play by the rules. We believe these people should have a job that can support a family and a better life for our kids.”

The union emphasized the increasing disparity between the salaries of CEOs and employees across the country and the declining number of families that are covered by health insurance.

“The future is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice, and the choice we have to make is to work together,” Stern said. “We are stronger together.”

Other issues raised at the concert were higher wages for working families, freedom to join a union, and retirement security.

“Events like this are a good way to stir people up,” said Sean Daley, better known as Slug of the local hip-hop group Atmosphere.

“Not everyone here cares about what this concert is about. Some people here may just be here to hear the bands, but for everybody to come here and have a good time listening to music and at the same time have all of these artists kind of tuck vitamins into the Twinkies is why this event is great,” Daly said.

Lmani, of the Los Angeles hip-hop group The Pharcyde, said teenagers should empower themselves with knowledge.

“Instead of wasting your time with the Myspace and Facebooks of the world, there is a billion websites you can go to so you can empower yourself with knowledge because knowledge is power,” Lmani said.