Thousands march through Center City for May Day rally

PHILAELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thousands of people took to the streets on Friday for May Day, marching from Philadelphia City Hall through Center City and stopping at companies along the way to call for stronger workers' rights.

Dozens of labor organizations took part, chanting as they marked International Workers' Day and called attention to labor issues.

"The billionaires are running our economy right now, and it's time for working people to take charge and really get working people's needs up at the front," said John Braxton of Teamsters Local 623.

The rally was hosted by the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Dozens of labor unions participated, including teachers, airport and hotel workers, and construction crews, along with community activists.

"I'm here because it's the only thing I can do aside from vote," said Andy Ciccotelli of Gloucester Township, New Jersey.

In front of City Hall, organizers outlined what they described as a new vision for the city.

"We're ratifying a vision for Philadelphia that we developed over the last 10 months in small meetings and in conversations. All of these different organizations are represented here had thousands of conversations with their own membership," said Danny Bauder, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO.

That vision is intended as a blueprint for a more equitable city for working-class residents.

"Tax billionaires so that we can fund our public services. Health care is a human right. We want people to have safe neighborhoods and homes. We want people to have safety on their jobs," Bauder said.

The march wound through Center City, with workers bringing their message directly to certain companies. A banner at the front of the march read, "Workers over billionaires."

"For years, Philadelphia has been known as the poorest big city in the country. We should turn that around because we should be focusing on the people and not the billionaires and corporations that are making the choices in the city," Robert Harris, vice president of AFSCME District Council 47 said.

The march in Philadelphia was one of many held across the country to mark May Day.