Roughly 500 labour groups across the United States have organised a widespread economic blackout calling for “no school, no work, no shopping” to mark May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day.
The events, organised as part of an initiative called May Day Strong, were inspired by economic boycotts following ramped-up immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the deaths of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.
The events are broad in scope but are overall efforts to protest government policies that prioritise the ultra-wealthy over working-class people. May Day Strong has a broad set of demands, including “tax the rich” and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Since Inauguration Day, corporate billionaires and the Project 2025 agenda have driven attacks on our rights and freedoms,” New York City Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith said in a statement. Project 2025 is a conservative initiative aimed at reshaping the US federal government.
The push for increased worker protections comes after a wave of actions by the Trump administration that have stripped away many protections, including for federal workers. Earlier this year, the administration reclassified thousands of federal workers as “at-will” employees, making it harder to appeal dismissals. Trump also made cuts to staffing at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Trump rolled back policies protecting workers from unsafe AI development. A Goldman Sachs report found that AI has wiped out an average of 16,000 jobs per month in the past year. The administration also weakened enforcement of affirmative action requirements and cracked down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes.
On the wage front, the federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009, sitting at $7.25 per hour. Although Biden raised the minimum wage for federal contractors, Trump rescinded that in 2025.
Rallies range in size and scope. In New York, hundreds of workers rallied in Washington Square Park, calling to tax billionaires and demanding a ‘living wage’. Guadalupe Sosa, a street vendor, told Al Jazeera: “Like my parents, thousands of other immigrants migrated here. We are the workers who wake up every morning and make sure that this city runs.”
The history of May Day dates back to the late 19th century, when workers in the US fought for an eight-hour workday. The biggest demonstrations were in Chicago, culminating in the 1886 Haymarket Affair. The US does not recognise May Day as an official holiday, instead marking Labor Day in September.
Source: www.aljazeera.com