May Day Strong
Workers Over Billionaires
Although May Day is often associated with the ancient Greek and Roman celebration of spring, the National Resistance Movement is celebrating this May Day in honor of the labor movement and the belief that working people deserve dignity and respect.
In the late1800s factory workers labored 12-16 hours a day six days a week in grueling and dangerous conditions. The organization which became the American Federation of Labor called for a general strike on May 1,1886, to demand an eight hour workday. Over 30,000 workers across America walked off their jobs to peacefully march in support. Brutal and violent police intervention against striking workers in Chicago resulted in chaos and death. Eventually, unions prevailed and the eight hour work day was established as a standard.
The idea of solidarity among workers, inspired by the bravery of the Chicago strikers, spread throughout the world and, in 1889, May 1st was declared a holiday called International Workers Day. Worldwide, the May Day celebration of worker solidarity is a major event. Over time, US political leaders who opposed working class unity, worked to suppress the celebration of May Day. In 1958 May Day was effectively erased in American culture when May 1st was renamed “law day”. A “less radical” day called Labor Day is celebrated in September. However, Labor Day has become a family event signifying the end of summer and is now completely uncoupled from unions and working class justice.
In spite of the initial success of the unions, the war waged by business owners against unions has been unrelenting. Union busting has used violence, chicanery, bribery, the law, and the power of the purse to subjugate unions. The percent of union membership was at its highest, about 30%, in the mid 40s and 50s but has steadily declined to about 10% in 2025. In the last several years Florida has been in the vanguard of antiunion legislation.
In countries that have been able to overcome an attempted authoritarian take over, unions have been a critical factor in their success. The Alachua County Resistance honors and supports labor unions. We can participate in the National Day of Action, never cross a picket line, subscribe to Labor Notes, and purchase products that are made by union labor.
On this May 1st there is a National May Day celebration of worker solidarity that includes events and a general strike. Do what you can to participate in the general strike which recommends no shopping, no work, and no school. Most people with some planning can avoid shopping for one day. So please plan on not shopping, which includes not ordering online and not putting gas in your car. If you are unable to take the whole day off from work maybe you can take the afternoonoff.Parents will have to decide what is best for school children. If they go to school that day the family could generate their own May Day event. If you have young children you may want to read a book or watch a video about the history of labor unions. An example is Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel. There is a video version of this book on You Tube.
Several local unions are holding a May Day Rally and protest on Friday, May 1stat 5:00 PM at Bo Diddley Plaza. Please attend if you can!
If the rally is not a good fit for you but you want to do something meaningful, consider donating to the Food Panty in Newberry. This may be a nice thing to do if you have small children or a mobility limited friend/family member. It is on the front porch of the Glanzer Realty Office, located at 25527 Newberry Rd. They accept shelf stable as well as cold items like milk and vegetables that are not beyond their expiration date. You can just drop off the food anytime unless it is a large amount, in which case, please let them know. Their phone number is 325-665-3534.
Please support union labor. We have two union printing shops here in town: Alta Systems can meet your document, sticker, business card, and poster printing needs and, 352 Printing (352printshop@gmail.com) makes custom screenprint T-shirts, buttons and tote bags. An alternative print shop for hard copy is Go Union Printing. It is in St. Pete but available by one day ground shipping via UPS and has many satisfied customers in Gainesville. UPS and USPS are the only union delivery services, so make sure to ship with them to support local jobs with dignity.
Attached is a directory of nationally available union made products. Please look at this list and adjust your shopping habits to include union made products when possible.