Happy belated International Workers' Day!
The American Federation of Labor (AFL) decided on May 1 for this celebration in honor of the general strike of May 1-4, 1886 in Chicago, Illinois that resulted in the Haymarket Massacre. The general workforce had struck to demand an 8-hour work day. Though the strike ended in violence, it rallied the world to the cause of the 8-hour work day, among other efforts to empower workers.
Other organizations soon joined the celebration. In 1890, an offshoot of the International Workers Congress strongly encouraged all likeminded organizations in all countries to use May 1 as a day of demonstrations to demand, again, for the establishment of a standard 8-hour work day. Organizations from all over the world joined in, from Chile and Peru to Cuba to the U.S. to Europe. By 1927, Russia, Ireland, Brazil, China, and India had all joined in with May 1 labor demonstrations, as well. Even the Catholic Church eventually joined the action, dedicating May 1 to St. Joseph the Worker in 1955.
Ironically, the AFL began a general lean towards more conservative policy, and by 1905, they decided to abandon May 1 as the U.S. labor celebration. Instead, the AFL opted for the first Monday in September, which the federal government had designated as Labor Day in 1894. Though much of the U.S. no longer typically celebrates progress in labor protections and demonstrates for vital changes still needed on May 1, you may still have seen the city's local May Day demonstration on the Boston Common. You may even have spotted some of your local Boston Public Library staff in the crowd, there representing their unions: the BPL's MLSA Local 4928 (AFT) and AFSCME Local 1526.
For coverage of the May Day rallies held in Boston and other areas in Massachusetts, check out these news articles:
For more on May 1 as International Workers Day, check out these resources:
- "May Day, The Worker's Day, born in the struggle for the eight-hour day" by Andy McInerney
- "International Workers' Day" from Wikipedia
- "The Bloody Story of How May Day became a Holiday for Workers" by Lily Rothman
- "May Day: America's traditional, radical, complicated holiday, Part 1" by Jordan Grant
And finally, check out this booklist about labor history and labor's possible futures pulled from the Boston Public Library's catalog! You can see these books and more at the Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center's current book display.
A booklist for International Workers Day
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