May Day is International Workers’ Day.

​

It is a historic workers’ holiday that honors the Haymarket martyrs in Chicago and the fight for the eight-hour workday. It reminds us of a simple truth: when working people stand together, they can change the rules.

​

That history is deeply connected to immigration. Immigrants have always been part of the labor movement and the fight for dignity, fair wages, and safe working conditions. Today, immigrant workers continue to power our communities, our economy, and our future.

​

We also know that the story of workers’ rights in this country cannot be told without telling the truth about slavery. The United States was built in part on the stolen labor of enslaved Black people. The nation’s wealth and many of its industries grew from the exploitation of Black workers who were denied freedom, wages, and basic human rights.

​

May Day is a time to honor that history, recognize the people who have carried these struggles forward, and recommit to a future where every worker is treated with dignity and every family can thrive.