May Day, also celebrated by workers across the globe as International Labor Day, is not officially recognized in the U.S. despite the fact that the holiday traces its origins to the fight for an eight-hour workday in America.
This year, a coalition of labor groups are organizing over one thousand May Day events across the country. Find one near you here (there are even virtual events if you can’t attend in person!).
Before you grab your sign and head off to the nearest rally, here’s a brief history of May Day in the U.S.
A Brief History of May Day in the U.S.
In 1886, the organization now known as the American Federation of Labor called for a national general strike on May 1 to demand an eight-hour workday.
The strike’s focal point would be Chicago. On May 1, 1886, 80,000 workers marched through the streets of Chicago, peacefully.
Meanwhile, workers were on strike at Chicago’s McCormick Reaper Works. On May 3, two hundred police attacked the crowd of workers, killing two.
In response, anarchists and labor activists called for a rally in Haymarket Square the next evening, May 4. As the peaceful rally came to a close, a bomb was thrown into the crowd. After it exploded, police fired into the crowd, killing and injuring both officers and protestors. Seven officers were killed and sixty-seven injured. Four workers were killed and fifty wounded.
The bomber was never identified, but eight workers and activists were put on trial for murder and convicted nonetheless. Four were executed, one committed suicide, and three served time in prison but were ultimated released.
In honor of these Chicago workers, in 1889 the International Socialist Conference declared May Day a labor holiday.
May Day, or International Labor Day, is recognized and celebrated around the world, but has been suppressed in the U.S.. In 1958, President Eisenhower established May 1 as “Law Day,” a national day to celebrate the ‘rule of law’, and the U.S. officially recognizes Labor Day in September as its federal labor holiday.
Regardless, workers around the world and in the U.S. celebrate May Day–and our collective power, strength, and solidarity.
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