This Thursday, May 1st is May Day, and we’re still going all out. May Day was originally the main day of solidarity between workers and labor unions, and it’s still celebrated around the world as International Workers Day.
But in the US, politicians and oligarchs collectively moved our annual holiday to Labor Day, to avoid the May Day association with socialism and the 1880s strikes that culminated in the Haymarket massacre in Chicago. This year, as we face another rising oligarchy and threats to our climate, democracy, and communities, we’re reclaiming May Day as a day for US worker solidarity and mobilization.
Join one of the more than 800 demonstrations already planned this week, plan your own using the toolkit and resources, and/or join our kick off call on April 29 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT with the Working Families Party, American Federation of Teachers, and more!
If you need more background on why we’re organizing: This week isn’t just May Day, but the end of Trump’s first 100 days in office (again).
Trump’s polling may be down, but he’s continuing his fossil fueled fascist agenda. The secret police known as ICE are arresting, detaining, and disappearing anyone they dislike – from children with cancer, to college students who speak out, to federal judges who uphold the rule of law. All this fascism is funded by fossil fuel billionaires we call Oiligarchs so they can extract yet more profits, while paying as little as possible to workers and the governments and institutions that are supposed to protect and uplift us.
But resistance is also rising. From mass non-cooperation to boycotts and protests. Our April 5 Hands Off actions broke the internet and organizing records with more than 3 million people flooding the streets. We had huge actions and rallies in New York, Washington, DC, and other cities on April 19 as part of our All Out for Earth Day mobilization last week.
Now we’re coming together once again for May Day Strong because we’re building towards a General Strike. A general strike that shuts down the whole economy is the ultimate act of non-cooperation in a Democracy. Unions, teachers, and young people have been showing the power of strikes to win climate victories since Greta Thunberg started the Friday school strike movement. And that’s why youth-led groups like Sunrise are teaming up with big labor unions like the United Auto Workers in calling for a general strike on May Day 2028 – to ensure free and fair elections that work for all working people in this country. But we can’t get there without doing some organizing and mobilizing first.