May Day is coming up! For those of us raised on a lifetime of apolitical Labor Days in the US celebrated in early September, it may come as a surprise that International Workers Day, actually falls on May 1st, a.k.a. May Day. It traces its origin to the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where police clashed with workers striking for the eight-hour workday. Since then, May Day has been adopted worldwide as a celebration for the struggle for workers’ rights. Despite its roots in Chicago, the US government deliberately avoided recognizing May 1st, aiming to weaken the labor movement’s connection to more radical traditions of working class solidarity.
Just because Uncle Sam chooses to ignore the US’s role in inspiring and celebrating this struggle doesn’t mean the rest of us have to. This May Day, if you’re looking for a way to build working class solidarity, fight for workers’ rights, and make a real difference in your community, we have three films you can screen locally to do just that.
The Haymarket rally was organized by striking workers. You know who else is on strike? Starbucks baristas. Since December, Starbucks workers have been striking for better pay, better hours, and an end to union-busing in their contracts. You can support striking workers by hosting a screening of Partners: How Starbucks Baristas Started a Labor Revolution. These screenings are raising funds for the strike efforts, and sending audiences out to support strike kitchens and join picket lines. Bring Partners to your community and stand in solidarity with workers on strike.
Another effort worth supporting is the recently launched Planting Justice campaign by our friends at WeCount. They’ve released a report exposing human rights abuse at plant nurseries across the country. You can support workers in these nurseries by hosting a screening of Without Shade Without Rest. These screenings help audiences understand the real human cost behind their houseplants, and give them tools to pressure the industry to do better. Host a screening this May Day to educate your community and build solidarity with nursery workers!
Finally, for the real labor nerds who want to go deep and really learn how to build a union that can actually win, we invite you to screen We Build Power. This toolkit documentary traces how Los Angeles educators revitalized their union and won. While grounded in the stories of teachers, this film breaks down strategies any worker can use to build a union that truly represents and fights for its members. Host a screening to level up your organizing and get ready to learn what winning really takes.
We hope this inspires you to stand with these workers who are saying “enough is enough” and to join them by hosting a screening this May Day. And we’ve got your back! Beyond the films themselves, we have promotional materials, discussion guides, action ideas, and even some support for hard costs to help ensure your event leads to real impact in your community.
