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Chapter 28 Uninvited Guest
The weather in Pittsburgh was lovely on Labor Day.
The annual union family barbecue is held in a large park on the banks of the Mononga Hilla River.
Hundreds of members from various Pittsburgh unions and their families gathered here.
The air was filled with the aroma of barbecue and beer.
Children chased and played on the lawn, while adults gathered in twos and threes, drinking beer and chatting.
But beneath this seemingly lively scene, there was an unavoidable awkward atmosphere.
The main character of the event, Democratic Congressman John Murphy, was standing on a makeshift, rudimentary stage, delivering his long and empty speech.
"My friends, my fellow workers!"
Senator Murphy wore a brand-new blue work shirt, trying to appear more approachable.
"I am proud of you! You are the backbone of this country! It is you who, with your own hands, built our great city..."
He was spouting the same old clichés that had been repeated at every Labor Day event for decades.
Most of the workers in the audience were distracted.
Frank and his old buddies sat in the front row, watching the congressmen on the stage with blank expressions.
Many more people were looking down at their phones or chatting with those around them.
Senator Murphy clearly sensed the cold atmosphere.
His speeches became increasingly brief and perfunctory.
He just wanted to end this embarrassing event as soon as possible and then rush to the next fundraising dinner held for him.
Just as he was about to hastily end his speech with the words, "God bless America, God bless the working people of Pittsburgh," he was about to finish his speech.
Frank Kowalski suddenly stood up from his seat.
He walked straight onto the stage and took the microphone from a bewildered Senator Murphy.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Congressman!"
Frank's voice carried throughout the park through the loudspeaker.
All eyes were instantly drawn to the stage.
"Before you leave, we have a young man here who has some words he truly wants to say to us and to this city!"
To everyone's surprise, Leo Wallace stepped out of the crowd and onto the stage.
A barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed across Senator Murphy's face.
He certainly knew this young man.
He had seen the "Heart of Pittsburgh" video and knew about the recent commotion they had caused in Pittsburgh.
But he didn't expect that the other party would appear at his campaign event in this way.
Leo walked to the center of the stage, facing the hundreds of workers below, and began his speech.
"On the other side of the Allegheny River lies the Edgar Thomson Steelworks, the last large blast furnace still in operation in our Pittsburgh area."
"Last month, the factory's management announced that due to the impact of cheap steel from abroad, they planned to permanently close the blast furnace by the end of this year."
"That blast furnace is number 1. It has been burning on this land for nearly 150 years since Andrew Carnegie lit it with his own hands in 1875."
"A friend of mine, whose family works there. His great-grandfather was among the first immigrants to Pittsburgh from Ireland, and he worked at Blast Furnace No. 1 for forty years."
"His grandfather participated in the Normandy landings. After retiring from the army, he returned to work at Blast Furnace No. 1 for another forty years."
"His father also went to that factory after graduating from high school and worked in front of the No. 1 blast furnace for thirty years."
"Last week, their family received a termination notice from the factory."
"A family that has contributed three generations of blood and sweat to this city and this country was dismissed with just a thin piece of paper."
Leo's narration quieted down the somewhat noisy crowd below the stage.
Because what he was talking about was the shared fate of each of them, or their parents.
"They told us that this was an inevitable result of globalization, a ruthless law of the market economy, and that we had no choice but to accept it."
Leo's voice rose to a high pitch at that moment.
"But I'm telling you, it's all a lie!"
"We, the steelworkers of Pittsburgh, once armed a nation with our steel and won two world wars! We once built the nation's tallest skyscrapers and longest bridges with our own hands!"
"This city, this land, was built with our blood and sweat! It doesn't belong to the bankers on Wall Street, nor to the capitalists who moved their factories overseas! It belongs to us!"
"We have the right to demand that our history be respected! We have the right to demand that our community be protected! We have the right to demand that our next generation can continue to live with dignity on this land!"
His speech ignited the emotions of all the workers present.
A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
At the end of his speech, Leo turned around and faced the congressman next to him, whose face had become very ugly.
"Congressman Murphy, we respect your more than 20 years of service to Pittsburgh."
"But today, we don't need empty promises; we need concrete actions!"
"I have a complete plan in my hands, a plan that can get federal funds from Washington flowing back to Pittsburgh. A plan that can protect our remaining industrial heritage, restore our dilapidated communities, and provide new jobs and hope for our next generation!"
"This plan now only needs one person with enough influence in Washington to be willing to open that tightly closed door for us."
He paused for a moment, drawing everyone's attention to Senator Murphy.
Then he asked the question that had cornered Murphy.
"Today, here, in front of all the Pittsburgh steelworkers, we only have one question for you."
"Would you still be willing to open that door for us?"
The entire park fell silent.
All the workers’ eyes were focused on Senator Murphy.
He was placed on a raging fire.
He knew he had no way out.
If he were here today, in front of all the media cameras and all the union members, and refused this young man's request...
Then tomorrow, he will completely lose the support of the union and his most important voter base.
His political career will come to an end.
If he agrees, then he must actually put in the effort to make it happen.
At this moment, his political career was forcibly tied to this ship with an uncertain future by a young man in his twenties.
Senator Murphy looked into Leo's young yet determined eyes.
He glanced again at the expectant and scrutinizing gazes below the stage.
He took a deep breath and took the microphone from Leo.
His professional smile returned.
"Of course!" he said loudly to the workers below the stage.
"Of course I'd love to! It would be the greatest honor of my life to serve the working class of Pittsburgh!"