San Diego joins ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ protests held across U.S. on Labor Day

SAN DIEGO — Protesters held several “Workers Over Billionaires” demonstrations throughout San Diego County on Monday as part of a nationwide Labor Day effort organized by labor unions and other groups.

Organizers of the rallies, which took place across the country in cities that included Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and New York, hoped to voice support for workers while protesting the Trump administration and the wealthier segment of Americans who stand to benefit the most from the president’s policies.

A rally at Waterfront Park drew 1,200 to 1,500 people, event spokesman Mark Sauer said. “Considering it’s a holiday for working folks, (turnout) was encouraging,” said Sauer, who added the rally was peaceful.

San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, San Diego City Council members Joe LaCava, Kent Lee and Stephen Whitburn, and Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, were among elected officials who participated, Sauer said.

Along with promoting the importance of organized labor, Sauer said speakers focused on the November special election for Proposition 50 — an attempt by Gov. Gavin Newsom to redraw California’s congressional districts to negate a similar move in Texas — Trump administration policies’ effect on working families, and how the 2026 midterm elections will be a way “to put some serious checks and balances” on them, organizers said.

Besides the Waterfront rally, other rallies took place in La Jolla, Chula Vista, Mira Mesa, Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido City Hall. The Service Employees International Union and the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council were among the local event organizers.

“Across San Diego County, SEIU locals are anchoring multiple coordinated events, under the ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ banner,” the SEIU said in a statement. “From downtown to Chula Vista, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Carlsbad, and Escondido, members and allies are turning out to demand investment in schools, health care, housing, and climate action over corporate wealth. These actions highlight SEIU’s reach across diverse communities and show that working people: caregivers, educators, service and city workers are united in holding billionaires accountable and fighting for shared prosperity.”

A statement on the Mobilize Us website said billionaires “continue to wage a cruel war on working people, with their cronies in the administration, ICE and law enforcement backing up their attacks.”

Christian Ramirez, political director and statewide vice president for SEIU-WW, said “Immigrant workers are essential, yet the billionaires treat them as expendable.

“Immigrant workers and their families that keep our society moving with their labor are terrorized by federal agents and exploited by bosses. This is the face of tyranny: scapegoating the vulnerable while relying on their labor. Our response is collective power. This Labor Day, we stand together  — as workers, immigrants and citizens alike, as one movement for dignity.”

In a press release sent on Labor Day, the Trump administration touted “putting the American Worker first” and gains of half a million private sector jobs since January.

“From surging native-born employment and rising blue-collar wages to innovative workforce initiatives like expanded apprenticeships and trade school funding, the Trump Administration is reversing decades of neglect and finally putting American Workers first,” the administration said.

The Labor Day protests come on the heels of other demonstrations in recent months, including the “May Day” protests that took place on May 1, the widespread “No Kings” protests in June and those last month opposing President Trump’s push to redraw congressional lines.

U-T news services contributed to this report.