Each year, millions of other workers across the globe celebrate May 1st or International Workers’ Day (May Day) as their Labor Day.
In May 1886, a worker demonstration was held in Chicago’s Haymarket Square to push for an eight-hour workday. The violent confrontation between the police and striking union workers made headlines internationally, becoming a symbol of the international struggle for workers’ rights.
May Day is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of working people throughout history, but it’s also a reminder that the struggle remains — COVID-19 has exposed the great inequities in our workplaces and shown us that working people are still vulnerable.
We must continue to fight for safe jobs, workplace fairness and collective bargaining. As we move forward, so should our existing laws, that’s why the UFCW supports the passage of the PRO Act — a historic legislation that would restore protections that enable workers to join a union and empower them to negotiate for higher wages, better benefits, a secure retirement and a safer workplace.
