In late August 1981, including around August 31, U.S. labor organizations intensified planning for large demonstrations that became known as Solidarity Day, held in September. The mobilization grew partly from anger over the handling of the PATCO strike. Unions prepared to bring workers from across the country to Washington, D.C., to show support for workers’ rights and collective bargaining.
While the main march occurred in September, much of the coordination, travel, and organizing activity took place in the final days of August. This period illustrated how a specific labor dispute could spark broader solidarity efforts. The planning phase highlighted both the strength and limits of organized labor in the early Reagan era.
