Alexandria, VA - On Monday, May 1st at 5:00 pm EST in Alexandria, local workers joined Tenants and Workers United (TWU) and its sister organization New Virginia Majority (NVM) for a cultural event and community cookout in celebration of International Workers Day, a day set aside to honor workers and the labor movement.

Community members enjoyed food, musical performances, and speakers from across the community and the labor movement.

“I’m honored to join with other working-class families in my community and around the world to celebrate the hard work we invest in this city and this country day in and day out,” said Evelin Urrutia, Executive Director of Tenants and Workers United. “We live together, we work together, we struggle together, and we will continue to fight together and defend one another  until we see justice in our communities.”

Tenants and Workers United has organized low-wage workers in the Alexandria area for over 30 years. Their current “Hate Free Virginia” campaign calls on local businesses to condemn the hateful, xenophobic climate that has been on the rise since the presidential election in November.

“We are coming together to celebrate workers, but this is also a moment to reflect on what we have been through and the ideals we want realized in our communities,” said Urrutia. “A lot of community members are afraid and concerned about their future and their family’s safety. So this International Workers’ Day is also a moment to uplift and encourage our community and let them know we will continue to support them and fight for their safety.”

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Tenants and Workers United (TWU) conducts public policy and issue campaigns, low-wage worker and community organizing, education and leadership development, and non-partisan electoral organizing, all of which are geared to the overall mission of building regional power in Northern Virginia, and a broad, political economic justice movement centered in the leadership of working-class women and communities of color. For more information on Tenants and Workers United, visit www.tenantsandworkers.org.

New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization, and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable.