The Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker

By John Kindness with the Friends of Elmwood Park
Commissioned by the Fairmount Park Art Association in cooperation with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

The Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker commemorates the contributions of organized labor nationwide and Philadelphia’s working class history. Celebrating Philadelphia’s pivotal and unique role in the American labor movement, the artwork transforms Elmwood Park into a community gathering space and an outdoor history lesson. The project was commissioned through the Fairmount Park Art Association’s program New•Land•Marks: public art, community, and the meaning of place.

The Labor Monument is located in Elmwood Park at 71st Street and Buist Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. The artwork is also accessible by public transportation. Take the 36 trolley to 71st Street. Walk two blocks east to Buist Avenue.

The Labor Monument: Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker was made possible through the generous support of the Fairmount Park Art Association, William Penn Foundation, Claneil Foundation, Samuel S. Fels Fund, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and through donations from many local, national and international trade unions including Service Employees International Union (SEIU), International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT-PATCH), Sheet Metal Workers International Association, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), and United Steel Workers (USW), among others.