It's been two years since Juneteenth was formally recognized as a federal holiday, but a major labor union says it's still in a fight to have the day recognized as a formal holiday.
Dozens of longshoremen from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10 gathered Monday in San Francisco for a Juneteenth celebration filled with music and performances. Despite the day being recognized as a federal holiday, it's a date they say they're still fighting to get recognized as a formal holiday in their union contracts.
"This is a very special day to commemorate because it commemorates freedom and this country is supposed to be about freedom," ILWU Local 10 business agent Trent Willis said.
Local 10, which has a majority of Black members, decided to schedule a union meeting to allow members to celebrate the day – a celebration that included inducting actor Danny Glover into the union as an honorary member for what they say is his decades of support.
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"When young men and women come up here on this podium, come into this hall, they know that business is being taken care of, business about working people, business about building community and business about fighting for justice," Glover said.
