Posted May 7, 2025
MAY DAY 2025, hundreds of thousands of people marched, rallied, picketed or carried out civil disobedience in over 1,000 towns and cities across 50 states. Since May 1, 1886, when workers in industrial cities around the country demanded implementation of an eight-hour workday, the day has been a platform for workers’ demands and protests.
The focus this year opposed the range of actions the Trump team has launched in its first 100 days. Trump and his team have fired thousands of government workers, cancelled union contracts, as well as ended a series of essential research and social programs. They have illegally deported immigrants — even children who are U.S. citizens — and expanded the attacks on universities begun under the Biden administration.
The Chicago Teachers Union has played an important role in building a May Day Strong network of labor and community groups across the country. A national action debrief will discuss what are the next steps in putting “our families over their fortunes — public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics.”
BAY AREA—Thousands marched in various cities throughout the Bay Area, including Fremont, San Jose and Oakland. In Oakland a combination of immigrant rights and labor were in the forefront. Most prominently were Oakland Sin Fronteras and several labor councils.
CHICAGO—About 10,000 marched with strong representation from both SEIU and the Chicago Teachers Union. (Since the event was a school day near the end of the year, most teachers have used up their personal business days.)
DETROIT—The rally began with Paul Torrente, from UAW Region 1 (and past president of UAW Local 228), outlining the history of the first May Day and the struggle for the eight-hour workday. Other labor speakers included Monique Buchanan, president of AFGE Local 3239 (representing workers in the Social Security Administration) and Jerry King from the A. Philip Randolph Institute, as well as a representative from the Wayne State graduate students. The rally included musicians, spoken word performers and speakers reflecting the range of labor, civil rights and community organizations. These included One Fair Wage, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization, Doctors Against Genocide and the Peoples’ Assembly.
Sheet Metal Local 80 led the demonstration of over 500. Their banner highlighted the case of the sheet metal apprentice of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was “administratively” deported to El Salvador two months ago. About a dozen sheet metal workers marched behind the banner that called for bringing their brother home. The union endorsed the march, sent a sizable check and reached out to other construction unions for support. North American Building Trades president Sean McGarvey has demanded Abrego Garcia’s return.
HOUSTON—The local May Day celebration was somewhat small. It was mainly organized by immigrant rights groups such as Crecen and Fiel, with Houston DSA a cosponsor. While in the past SEIU has come out strongly for immigrant rights-themed event, unions were absent this time.
MILWAUKEE—Several thousand marched in Milwaukee in the annual May Day event sponsored by Voces de la Frontera, the Wisconsin immigrant workers’ rights organization. There were banners and contingents from the teachers’ unions, SEIU, the Laborers union, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Milwaukee Turners and Palestinian rights groups. A large banner called for dropping charges against Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, arrested in court last week by the FBI for purportedly aiding an immigrant.
Among speakers at the downtown rally was DSA activist Missy Zomber, recently elected Board President of the Milwaukee Public Schools.
There was a march and rally of several hundred in Madison, also supported by Voces, and another of dozens in Manitowoc.
 |
 |
 |
 |
NEW YORK CITY—The strong working-class character of the two demonstrations in New York City was the result of turnout from unions and immigrant rights organizations. Unions included Transportation Workers Union (TWU), Hotel Trades Council, Laborers Local 79, the Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Communication Workers, UAW, the Professional Staff Council of the City University, and federal workers (represented by AFGE, NTEU and IFPTE). The presence of the unions meant that there were more Blacks and Latinos in this protest than at earlier demonstrations.
PITTSBURGH—Starting in downtown Pittsburgh, at the United Steelworkers building, at 5 pm, over 2000 people mobilized in a May Day rally and march. Although the most visible union support was clearly from the United Steel Workers and United Electrical Workers, immigrant rights groups, community groups, and even Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey turned out. Rallying in defense of the rights of immigrants, workers, women, and the LGBTQ+ communities, marchers also carried signs stressing the need for democracy, education, environmental protection, decent health care and housing for all.
TULSA—Over the last decade International Workers Day is typically occasioned by a picnic in a secluded park gathering 20-40 of Tulsa’s leftwing activist base. This year was different. A couple of events were consolidated into a picket of 150 people outside the Federal building. The main convenors were the Tulsa Peace and Justice Network, local 50501 activists and PSL. The demonstrators ranged from middle-aged professionals and retirees to a smaller, younger and radical contingent. The only unifying chant was “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump/Elon Musk has got to go.”
The event concluded by marching on the Guthrie Green. Named after Woody, ironically enough, it was built by a billionaire.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA—Almost 60,000 workers, represented by AFSCME 3299 and UPTE-Communications Workers, struck in response to illegal hiring freezes.
VERMONT—May Day in Vermont concluded a busy week for the class struggle wing of the Vermont labor movement. Earlier in the week the Union Power ’25 conference — with 150 union rank & file members, leaders, and allies — prepared trainings to become strike ready.
This was followed by a victory against repression of the Palestine movement as a Vermont judge released Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Vermonter detained by federal immigration.
The largest May Day event was in Williston, where 2500 marched and picketed for immigrant rights, worker rights, and trans rights. Support for Palestinian liberation was forefront at this May Day rally, which was organized by left-led unions, DSA, and, importantly, Migrant Justice. After marching and rallying outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, thousands marched to form a mass picket at a Hannaford Supermarket. Migrant Justice and allies are demanding that the grocery chain join their Milk with Dignity campaign in a fight for farmworkers rights and conditions.
The Vermont AFL-CIO organized a Workers Fight Back rally in the state capital. They celebrated the passage of an amendment to Vermont’s constitution that enshrines the right to join a union and collectively bargain. Twelve hundred attended this rally, where AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler spoke.
These two May Day events were overwhelmingly working-class in composition and program, in contrast to the April 5th Hands Off rally. There were smaller My Day rallies of 500 or so in Bennington and Brattleboro, with smaller gatherings across the state.
EL SALVADOR—While over 200 people have been deported to El Salvador’s maxi-prisons, people demonstrated there too. Early International Workers’ Day police stopped buses and trucks on major highways across the country while soldiers searched for passengers. Despite the Bukele government having suspended the right to assemble three years ago, an estimated 15,000 people, including over 250 unions, took to the streets in the capital. Under the State of Exception tens of thousands of people have been arrested and jailed. Marchers called for the freedom to organize and dissent, for the release of 85,000 imprisoned without a trial and for defense of the public sector.
