As many as 50,000 union members and supporters gathered Sept. 1 in New York City to protest President George W. Bush’s anti-working-family policies, in one of the largest Labor Day rallies in the country. The crowd — waving banners and chanting variations to the theme “Bush is Bad for American Workers” — engulfed 8th Ave. from 22nd St. to 30th St.

Organized by the New York City Central Labor Council, the demonstration was one of many held in the city during the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden. Protesters focused attention on the Bush administration’s failed domestic policies and the war in Iraq. Primarily, “It’s about the war right here at home,” said Brian McLaughlin, head of the city’s Central Labor Council, in his Labor Day rally speech.

The following day, Sept. 2, as President Bush addressed the convention, accepting the Republican nomination, more than 15,000 union members took to the streets in 16 states for a door-to-door campaign in 200 communities where they spoke with a million union households about Bush’s failure to address America’s jobs and health-care crises.

The effort included distributing leaflets comparing the positions of Bush and his Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry, on key working-family issues. The event was part of the AFL-CIO’s Labor 2004 initiative, which is in high-gear as election day approaches fast. See Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Domestic Issues to compare the candidates’ positions for yourself.