Union workers, several groups celebrate Juneteenth

SEATTLE — As the country celebrated the Juneteenth federal holiday, several groups in Seattle marched and held a rally at the waterfront.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union workers and several other groups marched down Alaskan Way holding signs and chanted “Black workers lives matter,” as well as, “honor Juneteenth as a workers’ holiday.”

ILWU leadership told KIRO 7 that they started the march in 2020 after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

They said the holiday is an important time for all.

“So today is a great day for us because we are seeing that the country and people are moving forward for change, for better. And that’s what Juneteenth is all about,” ILWU leadership said in a statement.

Besides the march, several speakers at the rally discussed the history and importance of the holiday.

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