In Solidarity: Happy May Day!


Do you work an eight-hour day? Do you get paid for overtime? Are you protected by minimum wage, child labor and workplace safety laws? Do you receive benefits from your job such as health insurance, vacation, a pension or other retirement benefits? Thank the socialist labor movement and celebrate May Day!

May 1 is celebrated around the world, not just as a rite of spring but also in recognition of the struggle by workers to obtain humane, safe working conditions and adequate pay for the work they do. In the U.S., the corporate world co-opted the labor movement by creating Labor Day as a holiday for the first Monday in September. This separated the celebration of the accomplishments by radical labor movements from a day associated with socialism, and in consequence obscured the contributions of the socialist movement to the improvement of American workers' lives.

For a history of this radical workers' holiday, go here.

Posted: Sat - May 1, 2004 at 04:06 PM          


©