The Greater Boston Labor Council and MA AFL-CIO sponsored a May Day Car Rally outside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to support essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rally began at the UPS facility in South Boston and ended outside Boston Hope, the 1000-bed field hospital created inside the BCEC.

Teamsters Local 25 Trade Show Division workers, who performed the build-out for the Boston Hope, along with nurses, physicians and other field hospital staff, stood outside on Summer Street as hundreds of cars drove by in a show of support for their work in the face of danger. The vehicles were covered with large signs and messages such as “SUPPORT OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS,” “HAZARD PAY FOR OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS” and “UNION STRONG”.

Labor leaders held a speaking program outside the BCEC. The crowd heard from Brian Doherty of Dorchester, leader of the Boston Building Trades Council, as well as Colleen Glynn, president of Local 11 Stagehands Union. All of the speeches were met with great applause and cheers from the crowds, followed by a donation of union-made hazard masks to the Boston Hope Field Hospital as Doherty handed them out to Teamster Local 25 members.