John Laird (right) of the California Integrated Waste Management Board converses with others Monday at the annual Labor Day picnic, put on by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council at De Laveaga Park in Santa Cruz. (Photos by Tarmo Hannula)

SANTA CRUZ — Streams of light filtered through the towering redwood trees at De Laveaga Park Monday afternoon, an effect sharpened by smoke from a busy barbecue and by dust kicked up by hundreds of people attending the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council’s annual Labor Day picnic.

Absent this year was the politically charged atmosphere of last year’s picnic, which took place in the midst of a closely watched presidential campaign that drummed up record support for local and national issues.

But union members, labor leaders and other attendees at the picnic were no less passionate about this year’s centerpiece causes — particularly President Obama’s proposal to overhaul the nation’s health care system, and the Employee Free Choice Act, which would streamline the process workers must go through to form unions.

“This is probably the worst time for working people since the Great Depression in terms of wage cuts and unemployment,” said Santa Cruz County worker and union organizer Jeffrey Smedberg. “But we’re happy to come together to celebrate the power of solidarity of working people, and we’re very hopeful about the possibilities with the present political climate.”

For the complete article see the 09-08-2009 issue.

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