Denver, CO – On May 1, about 300 rank-and-file union members, activists and members of the community came together at the Colorado State Capitol to celebrate International Workers Day, or May Day. This worker holiday originated in the United States, and commemorates the Haymarket Affair of 1886, where protesters fighting for an eight-hour workday were attacked and killed by police.

Tampa, FL – On Sunday April 30, 40 people protested outside the Hillsborough School Employees Federation union hall against the recent passage of union-busting legislation aimed at public sector workers and to mark International Workers Day.

New York, NY – Around 500 people were gathered around the fountain of Washington Square Park on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day. The first of several events throughout the city, this one was led by several different unions, such as the Teamsters Local 804, and organizations such as DecrimNY.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

El 1 de mayo de 2023, las personas trabajadoras y oprimidas de todo el mundo celebrarán el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores. Este año, la Organización Socialista Camino a la Libertad (OSCL) llama a nuestros camaradas, amigos y aliados a mantener la tradición revolucionaria de celebrar el 1 de mayo. Celebre haciendo manifestaciones, marchas y programas en ciudades de todo Estados Unidos. Puede encontrar una lista de eventos locales del Día Internacional de los Trabajadores aquí.

Minneapolis, MN – On Friday, April 28 over 4100 graduate student workers’ votes were counted in a union election at the University of Minnesota. The vote was held over three days. When the votes were counted, the grad students turned out to have cast 2487 ballots in favor of forming a union and 70 ballots against, for a 97% majority. The grad students began signing union cards in February and turned in a strong majority on cards in March to trigger this vote.

Buena Park, CA – Workers at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists, walked off the job on February 11 after the company filed a lawsuit against the union for trademark infringement due to their local’s name, Medieval Times Performers United. This is one of the many ways the company has retaliated against and attempted to silence the workers who have now, as of April 27, been on strike for 75 days.

Fight Back! News has collected a partial list of International Workers Day marches, events and celebrations that members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization are helping to build and lead. We encourage you to find the event nearest to you and attend. Events are listed in alphabetical order by city.

Milwaukee, WI – Teamsters across the country are beginning to schedule parking lot rallies ahead of the national contract negotiations, but Wisconsin Teamsters Local 344 are taking it one step further. Local 344 has created their own “Pay up” shirts for local members to wear every Friday in solidarity. The idea for these shirts came from a steward and rank-and-file member out of 344’s Oshkosh barn, Lori Jensen.

Orange, CA – On April 15, Teamsters in southern California held a rally around ongoing contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS. The rally was attended by hundreds of Teamsters from Locals 396 and 952 and featured speeches from Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien, Local 396 Secretary Treasurer Victor Mineros as well as rank-and-file members.