Protesters gather for 'Workers Over Billionaires' Labor Day rally

LEAVENWORTH — Approximately 100 people gathered along US-2 for a “Workers Over Billionaires” protest on Labor Day.

“We showed up today because Leavenworth greatly depends on local farming, hospitality and medical care workers who are often underpaid,” said Judy Derpack, NCW United rally leader.

The Leavenworth rally was organized by NCW United, a local civic engagement and advocacy group that formed in 2016. It is also part of Indivisible, a national network of local groups that organize civic actions in their communities and advocate on national issues.

This year, NCW United has organized major protests such as the “No Kings” protest in February, “Hands-Off” in April, “May Day Strong” in May, and “Good Trouble Lives On” in July. It has also maintained a presence of protesters along US-2 on Sundays throughout the summer.

Demonstrators protested against the firing of federal workers, dismantling Medicaid and other programs that support the working class, funding cuts to public services, increased tax cuts for the wealthy, and ICE tactics. 

Data scientist Monica Gerber said she was attending in support of her colleagues in vaccine and cancer research, some of whom lost their jobs amid federal cuts. 

“I don't know if there is anybody who doesn't know someone who lost their job,” added Karen Ewing. “My sister-in-law worked for the IRS and was DOGE’d. You know, she worked there for 25 years…My daughter worked for the National Park Service, and there’s no more jobs there.”

Bob Ogburn and Chris Clark said they were motivated to protest for a number of reasons, including the undermining of democracy and tax policies that favor the wealthy over the working class.

“All the outrages that are being done by this administration – it's hard to keep track of,” said Ogburn.

The Labor Day protest was part of a larger movement organized by the May Day Strong coalition of organizations, labor unions, and advocacy groups, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Indivisible, and 50501. 

Across Washington State, approximately 50 protests were arranged on the organizing platform Mobilize, with nearly a thousand protests scheduled across the U.S. and beyond.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media