Thousands Celebrate Worker Power on Labor Day in Seattle

September 4, 2025

Thousands rallied in South Lake Union on Labor Day to expose Palantir and celebrate worker power as part of a National Day of Action

On Labor Day, thousands gathered at Cascade Playground in Seattle to celebrate the power of working people and take a stand against corporate surveillance giant Palantir Technologies.

The event, organized by MLK Labor and unions across King County, featured powerful speeches, family-friendly activities, and a clear message: America belongs to workers, not billionaires.

“Labor Day is not for billionaires like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, or anyone sitting in the C-Suite,” said Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor. “Labor Day is for the janitors, nurses, teachers, immigrant farmworkers, tradespeople, and everyone who built this country and gets up every morning to keep it running. Today, we are standing up to the billionaires and corporations like Palantir who are getting rich as working people struggle to make ends meet.”

MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow addresses the Labor Day crowd

Palantir, a secretive tech corporation co-founded by Peter Thiel, has secured over $60 billion in government contracts to build surveillance tools used by ICE and the military. Speakers highlighted how Palantir’s technology is used to target immigrants and union members, while its executives profit from taxpayer dollars.

“The targeting technologies used by ICE on our neighbors and union members bring battlefield technology like that used in Palestine upon our communities,” says Juan Sebastian Pinto, an organizer, educator, and former Palantir employee. “They also violate our first and fourth amendment rights by weaponizing our data against us, and centralizing power away from democratic and accountability processes to algorithmic systems and big tech.”

As local union members have been detained, the labor community has repeatedly come to their defense by holding rallies, writing letters defending their character, and raising funds to support their families.

“Being detained by ICE was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. But I wasn’t alone. I was released thanks to the support of my union, the labor movement, the theater community, my school district, and generous donors who covered my legal costs,” said Fernando Rocha, a theater manager at Juanita High School in Kirkland, who was arrested at his home on July 18. “My freedom is still conditional, but this Labor Day, the solidarity shown to immigrant workers like me reminds us we are seen, valued, and not forgotten.”

The event also spotlighted the growing momentum of the labor movement. With union approval at its highest in decades and over 16 million workers joining unions last year, organizers emphasized that collective action is the most powerful tool to fight back against corporate greed and political corruption.

“The reason we are celebrating Labor Day is because generations ago, people were in the same situation, and they organized,” said Katie Garrow. “Now, it’s on us to revitalize it and build something stronger than ever before.”

Attendees enjoyed food, music, and activities for all ages, but the tone was resolute.

At rallies across America, Unions used Labor Day to spread a positive message about how the power of collective action and bargaining can be used to protect immigrant workers, improve pay and working conditions, and take back power from unelected billionaires.

You can see a photo gallery from Labor Day here.