Happy International Workers Day
In the 1880s, Chicago workers had had enough because of long hours and harsh conditions that pushed them to demand change. The International Working People’s Association, formed in 1883, championed the eight-hour workday. The movement gained national momentum. At its 1884 convention, the American Federation of Labor called for a nationwide strike on May 1, 1886.
On that day, over 340,000 workers took to the streets in support of an eight-hour workday. Tensions rose two days later during a strike at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. Police attacked protesters, killing at least six. The violence led to a rally in Haymarket Square on May 4. Though peaceful at first, the protest turned deadly when a bomb was thrown and police opened fire, killing several and injuring dozens.
The Haymarket Affair spurred the global labor movement. In 1889, labor leaders declared May 1 as International Workers Day—now known as May Day—to honor the fight for workers’ rights and the lives lost in the struggle. Once again, workers’ rights are under attack. The current administration has targeted federal workers’ bargaining rights, immigrant workers and freedom of speech. We honor the memory of our labor movement brothers and sisters, who for over a century have championed workers’ rights.
