The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago will be a showcase of the city’s strong union tradition, with Democrats gathering to celebrate the achievements of a pro-worker administration and support the Harris-Walz ticket.
Union workers are central to building the convention, with decorators from USW Local 17U and electricians from IBEW Local 134 among those contributing to the effort.
Workers like Christopher Brown from USW Local 17U and Terry Braun from Teamsters Local 727 take pride in their roles, highlighting Chicago’s reputation for having the best union workforce in the nation. The primary convention venues, McCormick Place and the United Center, are powered by 30 unions.
“To be able to set something up for a historic election is pretty powerful… Chicago’s union workers are the best in the nation, hands down,” Brown said.
The commitment to union labor is underscored by a Labor Peace Agreement signed by the DNCC, the Host Committee, the Chicago Federation of Labor, and 9 local unions, ensuring union workers are key to the convention’s success. For the first time, all state and territorial delegations will stay in downtown union hotels, with hotel workers included in the Labor Peace Agreement.
“It really highlights what the unions do in Chicago…I’ve done some big shows before but nothing like this where you have all these different unions working together. It’s been great…I have traveled to a lot of places in the country doing shows. Chicago is by far the best…Nobody does it like Chicago,” noted Terry Braun, Teamsters Local 727 Steward.
The Host Committee has also formed a Labor Advisory Council, bringing together leaders from more than 30 labor unions and workers’ rights organizations.
“Being part of the magnitude and odd specialties of this job, to realize everything is temporary and there is all this equipment set up to run an operation like this, it’s almost like working a Super Bowl…It just adds to our skill sets,” shared Sung Jeon, IBEW Local 134 electrician.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime…It’s a very tough job to do, but we’re trained to do it, and it’s something I’m very proud to be part of,” said Edgar Cruz, IBEW Local 134 electrician.
This year’s DNC will not only be union-powered but will also highlight Chicago’s rich history as a hub of the American labor movement.
The DNC begins Monday, August 19.
Photos Courtesy Democratic National Convention
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