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International Workers Day

By VVAW

On May first people around the world will demonstrate international solidarity, as working people celebrate international workers day. People will be holding celebrations from Chicago to London to Peking in recognition of the real builders of society, working people.

May Day started in this country! It grew out of the struggle for the eight-hour day in the 1880's. At that time working people had to work 12 to 16 hours a day. As a consequence in 1884, militant workers decided to organize nationwide strikes and demonstrations for May 1, 1886 to force employers to grant their demands.

Organizing proceeded for the next year and a half. Because of the repression of the times a lot of the organizing was conducted in secrecy.

When May Day came workers throughout the country took to the streets.

The largest demonstration took place in Chicago, where 25,000 workers went out on strike. Altogether more than 500,000 workers were involved across the country.

The struggle for the eight-hour day was not an easy one. Employers mobilized the police, National Guard, army and courts to break the struggle.

There were many martyrs and heroes in the successful struggle, with four of the Chicago organizers hung and others sent to jail on trumped up charges.

Inspired by the U.S. workers struggle, the socialist movement declared May Day, "International Workers' Day" at an international meeting in1889, in Paris and it has been celebrated ever since.

The victory for the eight-hour day was not an end to the struggle. Quite the contrary, its impetus has continued through history during the 1930's the demand for unemployment, old age and social insurance became a major focus for May Day. On May 1 1930, 350,000 people participated in marches and rallies across the country. Today, we have as a goal the struggle for unionization and an end to racial, national and women's oppression and imperialism.

International workers day this year comes at a time when working people in this country are suffering from one attack after another. Employers are trying to increase their profits by taking more and more out of the pay checks of working men and women.

The living standards of working people are facing the most sustained assault since the depression. U.S. business is in hot water, defeated in the costly, unpopular Indochina conflict, losing resources as countries attain national independence, and, on the home front, facing the determined resistance of workers in the U.S.

Inflation and taxes are skyrocketing while workers wages are tightly regulated from one "phase" to another "phase". Unemployment is higher than ever, especially among black, Latin, Asian, and women workers.

After every round of layoffs, or wage cuts the employer calls for higher productivity. In other words, speed up.

To round out the package the government along with the corporations pushes legislation to take away the workers right to strike, in collusion with certain "Labor Leaders".

Faced with these conditions, workers and poor people across the country are fighting back with "wildcat" strikes, and demonstrations. Thousands of auto workers have hit back at the ever increasing speedups. Postal workers have "walked off" the job, truckers have stopped hauling, miners have gone out until they were guaranteed gas, the Farah and Oneida victories made the first step in unionizing the whole south, and the United Farm Workers continue to boycott.

This May Day we will remember our victories, at the same time we will look forward to the struggle ahead.