May Day Rallies to Build Working Class Unity

Organizing is underway by labor, community, immigrant rights and peace organizations for powerful actions on May Day on Friday May 1 in New Haven in the afternoon and Hartford in the morning demanding “workers over billionaires” and “ICE out” Some will participate in the “No School, No Work, No Shopping” movement inspired by the resistance to ICE in Minnesota earlier this year.

Then, on Saturday May 2 the CT People's World will host its annual May Day Celebration and Rally featuring a slide show of May Day Around the World showing how workers are rising up for equality and peace across the globe on International Workers Day. Themed “Working Class Unity – from the streets to the polls” it will be held at 267 Chapel Street at 6 pm with refreshments provided. Contributions will be accepted for the People's World fund drive.

Leading up to the May Day rallies, a major all union Unite Here “We Can't Keep Up” contract rally will be held on April 23 at 5 pm starting at 425 College Street in support of Locals 34 and 35 at Yale in contract negotiations with Yale University. With a $4 billion endowment that earns more every minute, the claims of the University that they are in hard economic times ring hollow, while workers rent, mortgage, food and gas prices continue to rise.

The call to the May Day rallies in New Haven and Hartford on May 1 focuses on “Connecticut's billionaire class” and the demands of labor and community at the state legislature to protect against ICE, protect the rights to housing, health care and public education, and in New Haven to make Yale pay their fair share. As well, opposition to Trump's wars and robbing funds for military instead of human needs will be highlighted.

“The state budget crisis, the contract fight, the decimation of Medicaid and SNAP, the housing crisis, and the raids on immigrant workers are not different problems,” says the call to the rallies. “That's ONE billionaire class keeping workers divided, underpaid, overwhelmed, and scared in order to grow their power and wealth.”