The AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance honors the life and work of Dr. King. This event reinforces the historic bond between the labor and civil rights movements, honors King’s vision that collective action—whether at the voting booth or at the workplace—mobilizes participants to continue their work to make King’s dream a reality.
The 2013 observance will be held Jan. 17-21 in Philadelphia. The observance will take place as the country remembers and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington that rallied hundreds of thousands of people to call for jobs and freedom. As participants remember this great civil rights milestone, we also will look forward as the next president of the United States is inaugurated during the week of the event. This year will be a great year to gather, celebrate and reflect.
As in past years, there will be informative workshops and dynamic speakers. Participants also will commit one day to community service projects.
Join us in Philadelphia for the labor movement’s celebration of Dr. King and his legacy.
Registration: $180 by Dec. 17, 2012
Late registration: $200 from Dec. 18, 2012, to Jan. 2, 2013
Online registration cut-off: Jan. 2, 2013
On-site registration: $210
Add-on: Inauguration Watch Party $5
Refund deadline: Cancel by Jan. 2, 2013, to receive a full refund.
Lunch: Saturday, Jan. 19 – $40 (purchase on-site)
Banquet: Sunday, Jan. 20 – $50 (purchase on-site)
Brunch: Monday, Jan. 21 – $30 (advance purchase required)
President Obama will be sworn-in to his second term on the last day of the 2013 observance and we are hosting an Inauguration Watch Party. Enjoy a brunch buffet of Philadelphia cuisine, music and cash bar and celebrate as we watch the inauguration on jumbo TV screens. Join us Monday, Jan. 21, 10am – 1pm at the Philadelphia Downtown Sheraton Hotel.
Ticket sales for this event closed on Jan. 2.
As working families celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington this Aug. 28, which accelerated the nation’s own march toward social and economic justice, it's important to note union members played a big role in spreading the message that social justice is economic justice. The march, which propelled the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, was conceptualized by labor leaders at the time—along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—including, A. Philip Randolph, AFL-CIO vice president and president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Bayard Rustin, field coordinator, who called for the march. Along with the leadership of Randolph and Rustin, the UAW, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the Transport Workers (TWU) were instrumental in supporting the march.
