OMNI
MAY
DAY LABOR DAY INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY MAY 1, 2026
Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, Ecology, Democracy
https://omnicenter.org/donate/
What’S at Stake: May Day started here in the United States
after 80,000 people showed up to rally and demand the 8-hour work day in
Chicago’s Haymarket Square in 1886. Police attacked and killed protesters, and
then framed primarily immigrant workers for violence (who were later pardoned). These Haymarket events sparked yearly
worldwide celebrations of the labor movement on May 1, beginning in the late
1800s.
New Goddess Fest opens on MAY DAY 2026 <omni-omnicenter.org@shared1.ccsend.com> 4-30-26
Goddess
Fest Begins Tomorrow
The
New Goddess Fest Friday May 1 at Mat. Sequoyah, with the opening concert and
ritual held at Miller Hall. The organizers are thrilled at what a beautiful
venue This is. It makes the long wait since the last Goddess Fest seem like one
bad dream. And we're looking forward to seeing YOU there.
Learn
more and get tickets at https://goddessfestival.weebly.com/, The
complete schedule is below.
Follow
us on Instagram at @fayettevillegoddess, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/goddessfestival
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“Today
is May Day! Find an action near you:” Rashida Tlaib Thu,
Apr 30, 2026
Dick, Workers across the
country are rising up for change, as Americans struggle to put food on the
table, keep a roof over their heads, and get the healthcare they need. This week I joined
workers and my colleagues in Congress to launch the Living Wage for
All Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $25 an
hour to account for rising costs. This change is long
overdue. The bill also establishes a standard to keep growing the minimum
wage over time and, if passed, would eliminate all subminimum wages—which
currently exploit tipped workers, youth, and disabled people. I’m a proud daughter of
a union family, and I will continue to support workers and champion
pro-worker legislation while challenging corporate greed. Tomorrow, I’m joining
workers in celebrating and taking action
for May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. Hundreds of
organizations are coming together to demand a nation that puts workers over
billionaires by: · Taxing
the rich to fund people’s needs like housing,
healthcare, food assistance, public schools, and universal childcare.
Corporations and the ultra-wealthy have worked to rig the system to avoid
paying their share of taxes, and their wealth keeps growing while life gets
harder for the rest of us. That needs to end. · Abolishing
ICE and ending war: We don’t want our tax dollars
funding a private army that’s serving authoritarian power and kidnapping,
attacking, and killing our neighbors. · Expanding
democracy: Hands off our vote! We won’t stand for
Trump’s proposed takeover of our elections, and we’ll keep pushing back
against attacks, such as this week’s racist Supreme Court decision to further
destroy the Voting Rights Act. May Day started here in
the United States after 80,000 people showed up to rally and demand the
8-hour work day in Chicago’s Haymarket Square in 1886. Police attacked and
killed protesters, and then framed primarily immigrant workers for violence
(who were later pardoned). These Haymarket events
sparked yearly worldwide celebrations of the labor movement on May 1,
beginning in the late 1800s. But because of
nationwide suppression of our labor movement, it took until 1937 to pass a
federal law protecting the 8-hour workday. We’re still fighting for workers’
rights today. Unlike many of my
colleagues in Congress, I grew up in a working class family. When
my dad joined the United Auto Workers (UAW), he ensured we had health
insurance for the first time. I understand how
urgently we need transformative changes, and I stand firmly with workers and
the labor movement. I’m proud that unions
have already endorsed our 2026 re-election campaign, including National
Nurses United, the National Education Association, the American Federation Of
Government Employees Local 704, the Association of Flight Attendants, and
UNITE HERE! Local 24. In the U.S. House
Committee on Financial Services, I’ve held Wall Street and corporate
executives accountable. And at home, my team has held “organize your
workplace” trainings with workers from Amazon, Starbucks, and more. I will continue leading
transformative policies to end poverty, meet people’s needs, and save
lives—including: · The Stop
Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act, which
has over 70 cosponsors and has been endorsed by the United Food and
Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). · Bills
to cancel medical debt and utility debt, in addition to
legislation that helps families pay for utilities including drinking water. · The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act,
which would raise taxes on corporations that pay their executives
more than 50 times the wages of their workers. · The Restaurant
Workers Bill of Rights, which would end the
subminimum wage for tipped workers (it has remained stuck at $2.13 an hour
for over 30 years). I introduced this in partnership with worker members of
the Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United. · The Economic
Dignity For All Agenda to help ensure that
every family and child has the resources needed to flourish, by providing
regular cash assistance directly to individuals and families nationwide. Our movement is growing.
Last year marked the most May Day events in U.S. history, so let’s keep up
the momentum and demonstrate our power this year. Find a May Day event near you
for tomorrow—Friday, May 1, 2026. You can also check
out https://maydaystrong.org/ to
find out more about tomorrow’s National Day of Action for Workers Over
Billionaires, and about the coalition of organizations and unions promoting
it. Together, we’ll keep
fighting for the rights and dignity of all people, and for a thriving
democracy that works for all of us. We’ll keep building the
world we need and deserve. In solidarity, Rashida CHIP IN TO FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE https://rashidaforcongress.com/ Protect worker rights for all Amy Gottlieb, AFSC 5-1-26
Dear
James, Today
we celebrate May Day—International Workers’ Day. A day to honor the
generations of people who have struggled to win labor rights and protections
for us all—including safe working conditions, fair wages, and the freedom to
organize. But
today, many people across the U.S. are not fully protected by labor rights
and protections. Immigration raids have left many afraid to go to work.
Threats of deportation prevent workers from speaking out against hazardous
conditions or employer abuse. Without
permanent legal status, people can be denied their rights as workers. That
has to change. Join us in telling
Congress: Support a pathway to citizenship for
all immigrants! Immigrants are
vital members of our communities—not just as workers. They are our family
members, friends, neighbors, and community leaders who have built lives here.
They deserve to live and work freely, without fear of being torn from their
families and communities. On this May Day,
we are calling for labor protections for all and reaffirming our commitment
to economic justice. We know that when we stand together, we are
stronger. Together, we will create a more just and welcoming world, where all
people have what they need to thrive. Tell Congress: Support a
pathway to citizenship for all. In solidarity,
Amy
Gottlieb U.S. Migration Director
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“All
Out Against War and ICE This May Day!”
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“Two
days until we're All out for May Day.”
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no
shopp
April 29 – We are
just two days away from making history together on May Day. Join us in the
streets to collectively flex our power, practice mass non-cooperation in the
model of a general strike, and make some good trouble to have a good time.
There are more than 3,000 May Day actions already planned across the
country, click here to check the
map and find YOUR May Day 2026 event!
Tonight at 8 pm ET we're hosting our final mass call.
We'll be joined by Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, Jessica Tang,
president of AFT Massachusetts, Rigo Valdez, executive director of The People's
Organizing Center, and other partner organizations across the country who will
ground us in this historic moment and the importance of taking action this May
Day. Register Here: TONIGHT
at 8PM ET / 5pm PT.
You can also spread the
solidarity and share how you are taking action on May Day using these graphics. Or,
if you're pressed for time, just share these:
§ Or
just forward this email to a friend
Our
original email from a month ago is below if you need a reminder of why we're
taking action, or want to forward to a friend.
April
3 - Last weekend, we rallied 8 million strong in cities and
towns from coast to coast to coast for No Kings 3. Our demands were clear: No
ICE, No War, No Kings – and bring down the fossil fueled fascist billionaires
who threaten our climate and communities
If you
missed it, there was a fantastic debrief and wrap up call earlier this week,
and at that very same call it was announced that the next big mission for the
No Kings coalition is to organize for May Day (May 1) 2026 – a day with
no work, no school, and no shopping to bring down the regime, grind the economy
to a halt, and put workers over billionaires.
If
you're ready to join us: Click here to take the
pledge to join us on May Day, and check map to see if there’s already a May Day
Strong event scheduled near you.
We
should live in a country that puts workers over fossil fueled billionaire
fascists. But right now, families are being forced to choose between groceries
and rent, while billionaires rig the rules to protect their power and fossil
fuels profit off of war and destruction.
That's why May 1, 2026 will be a coordinated national day of action. From the
fight for the eight-hour workday, to the 2006 Day Without Immigrants, to last
year’s massive anti-billionaire Earth Day to May Day charge, May Day has always
been about workers organizing together to shift power. This year, we carry that
tradition forward.
Together we will say: No School. No Work. No Shopping.
This isn't a symbolic protest like No Kings, where the intention is to
show how many people oppose the regime. That's important.
But May Day is a show of force. When fossil fuel fascists seize
power, we can't continue to operate as if everything is normal. We have to
escalate and create disruption – even if it means taking on risk: to our
safety, our paycheck, or our social standing. We have to stop being polite and
shut things down to make our demands are clear:
·
Tax the rich.
·
No ICE. No War. No fossil fueled fascists.
·
Expand democracy, not corporate power. There is no climate
action without free and fair elections.
Millions
of us are already taking action, moving together, and building toward May
Day. Join us today and choose
how you'll participate: No Work, No School, No
Shopping or joining a local action.
We'll
see you in the streets.
Drew & the 198 methods to resist fossil fueled fascists crew
Sources
1. No Kings
3 debrief call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKnRODQDuTo&t=3s
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/09/05/labor-day-may-grover-cleveland/
3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/may/02/usa.topstories3
4. https://www.198methods.org/2025/04/17/all-out-for-earth-day-to-may-day/
[VFP-all]
“May Day 2026 Will Be a 'Milestone of Struggle'; Building Power from No Kings
to May Day.”
Gerry Condon via uark.onmicrosoft.com 4-29-26
Bring VFP's Antiwar Messaging to May Day Actions
“May Day 2026 Will Be A ‘Milestone Of
Struggle’”
By
Cameron Harrison, People's World. As the world prepares to mark the 140th anniversary
of the 1886 Chicago Haymarket Affair, including massive
demonstrations and actions planned in the U.S. under the “Workers
Over Billionaires” banner, the World Federation of Trade Unions is
calling on the international working class to mobilize its forces this May Day
in the struggle for workers’ rights, democracy, peace, and equality.
Representing more than 105 million workers across every corner of the globe,
the WFTU said the demands of the Chicago pioneers remain as urgent today as
they were 140 years ago. -more-
“Building Power From No Kings To May
Day” By Truus Van Iperen, Left Voice.
March 28th brought a rare hint of spring to Minnesota—50 degrees, clear
blue skies, and a brisk wind that felt very welcome after a punishing winter.
But the season’s hardship extended beyond the weather. It was also marked by
the presence of more than 2,000 ICE agents deployed as part of Operation Metro
Surge. With national attention fixed on Minnesota as a focal point of the No
Kings movement, the weight of this moment runs deeper than recent immigration
enforcement alone. In June 2025, State Representative and former House Speaker
Melissa Hortman, her husband, and their dog were killed. -more-
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Global Rights Index 2025
Reveals Worsening Crisis For Workers
By
International Trade Union Confederation.
Popular Resistance.org (6-5-25). This is the 12th edition of the ITUC Global Rights Index,
the only comprehensive, worldwide annual study of the violation of workers’
rights – freedoms that form the basis of the democratic rule of law and fair
working conditions for all. This year’s Index reveals a stark and worsening
global crisis for workers and unions. In 2025, average country ratings
deteriorated in three out of five global regions, with Europe and the Americas
recording their worst scores since the Index’s inception in 2014. Alarmingly,
only seven out of 151 countries surveyed received the top-tier rating.
-more-
The following articles
were published too late for OMNI’S 2025,
and are placed here with the 2026 anthology.
May Day 2025: The
Current Installmen t of an Annual Remembrance (1)
Robert J.S. Ross,
April 27, 2025
The Stansbury Forum.
Portside (5-2-25).
By 1891, May 1st demonstrations for a
shorter workday had become an international and regular practice, becoming also
a call for universal peace and a celebration of working class power.
Stand
with Earth Defenders this May Day – Your gift still doubled!
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Thu, May 1, 10:18 AM (4 days ago) |
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ABOUT
FACE
Thu,
May 1, 10:31 AM (4 days ago)
Dear Dick,
On May 1st, 2025, About Face pays homage to May Day, commemorating
both the brave Chicago labor activists who, in 1889, withstood police violence
to fight for the 8-hour work day, and the relentless struggles against
exploitation that have been waged ever since. May Day is a testament to the
will of oppressed people to rise above their dispossession and fearlessly build
a better world. It is both a legacy which connects us to the history of the
working class struggle, and a reminder that victory is possible if we remain
persistent, focused, and committed to the project of liberation. This May Day,
I’m reminded of 1971.
Six years into the Vietnam anti-war
movement, the leaders of different organizations and coalitions determined that
refreshed strategy and creative energy was needed to push the government to
heed their demands and end the war, once and for all. Activists called for a
national protest, and the masses of people followed– 500,000 to be exact.
Together, students, workers, soldiers, veterans, religious figures, artists,
and more united under one slogan:
“If the government won’t stop the war,
we’ll stop the government.”
Over the span of several days, protests and direct actions took over D.C.,
resulting in over 12,000 arrests and insurmountable pressure on the Nixon
Administration. May Day 1971 earned its place in history as one of the most
organized, targeted attempts to end the war in Vietnam.
Today, we are in the midst of our generation's Vietnam. Funded and backed by
U.S. Imperialism, Israel is attempting to destroy and re-occupy Gaza. Gaza’s
infrastructure has crumbled due to the endless bombardment, and the siege has
left its population at the brink of starvation, with no humanitarian aid let in
and no conceivable end in sight.
It’s in moments of desperate hardship
that we recall the legacy of May Day. The Palestinian people, like the
Vietnamese, the Haitian, and the Cuban people before them, are fiercely
struggling for their freedom against the forces of Imperialism. As veterans and
as people of conscience, we are called to uphold the spirit of May Day by
struggling for liberation alongside them.
May Day is a promise. It’s a promise
to Palestine, and it’s a promise to each other to do our part and fight, with
all the energy we have, for liberation and justice. About Face invites you to
struggle alongside us. Together, we can confront the war machine today so that
we may celebrate our collective freedom tomorrow.
In solidarity,
Alex Kerry (he/him)
Operations Manager
About Face: Veterans Against The War
“This
May Day, we’re sending a powerful message: A government for the people, not
billionaires”
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Thu, May 1, 11:05 AM (4 days ago) |
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Following 2 from Counterpunch (May
1, 2025)
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How
our team observed May Day
Inbox
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for all messages with label Inbox
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May 1, 2025, 6:00 PM (4 days ago) |
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Dick,
Today is May Day, which made it the perfect day for Team
Jayapal to hit the streets in solidarity with AFT and WFSE members who are
opposing furloughs and budget cuts at Seattle Colleges:
Pramila will never stop fighting on behalf of working
families. Before she was elected to office, she was a longtime
organizer for working people who helped make Seattle the first major city in
America to pass a $15 minimum wage.
In Congress, Pramila has led the fight to undo decades of
anti-worker policies, put power back into workers’ hands, and secure the right
to organize for better wages, fair benefits, and a voice on the job.
And with union-busting tactics at some of the country’s
biggest corporations on the rise, she’ll continue standing with workers as they
organize for a fair deal.
With billionaires like Elon Musk guiding the Trump
administration and Republican policies in Congress, things may look bleak right
now — but their approval numbers are sinking fast, and victory is
possible if we keep at it.
In order to win, we need to keep up the pressure and
continue building our movement every single day. And since Pramila has never
taken a dime from corporations or their PACs, we can’t do it without you, Dick.
In solidarity,
Team Jayapal
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California
was built by labor. This May Day let’s reclaim it.
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Thu, May 1, 6:52 PM (4 days ago) |
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