International Workers Celebrate May Day Amid Ongoing US Union Battles
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Workers around the world celebrated May Day 2022 on Sunday by protesting for improved working conditions and other reforms.
May Day was established as International Workers’ Day in 1889 by the Marxist International Socialist Congress to commemorate the Chicago Haymarket Riot and the fight for the 8-hour workday. It is celebrated as an official holiday in many countries, including India, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine and many other European countries. Some countries, like the U.S., celebrate Labor Day on different dates.
This year has already seen several historic victories for American labor unions, including at Amazon warehouses and Starbucks coffee shops. However, Amazon filed an objection on Friday with the National Labor Relations board against a recent unionization vote at a New York City warehouse.
While almost every major right-rated outlet ignored May Day, many left-rated outlets published both news and opinion content about May Day rallies and the current state of U.S. labor unions. When right-rated outlets did cover May Day, they framed it as “socialist.” Coverage from the left tied May Day rallies to a wide range of issues, including inflation, feminism and immigrant rights.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Workers around the world mark May Day with rallies for better working conditions
Demonstrators across the globe seized May Day, also known as International Workers' Day, as a moment to celebrate working-class contributions as they rallied for better labor rights, immigration overhauls, and other causes around social and economic equality.
Crowds of activists marched through lower Manhattan to demand worker protections and immigration overhauls on Sunday.
Local chapters of labor organizations affiliated with the AFL-CIO held a "United Against Union Busting" march and rally that kicked off at Union Square. Stopping points on the march's route included a Starbucks Roastery, a Whole Foods and a...
From the Left
May Day rallies in Europe urge more help as inflation bites 
Tens of thousands of people marched Sunday in cities around Europe for May Day protests to honor workers and shame governments into doing more for their citizens. In France, protesters shouted slogans against newly elected President Emmanuel Macron, a development that may set the tone for his second term.
Tensions erupted in Paris, as some demonstrators smashed windows at some banks, a fast-food restaurant and a real estate agency, apparently partially the work of masked men dressed in black. French police moved in, firing rounds of tear gas. That failed...
From the Right
Homeland Security official tweets socialist applause: ‘Happy May Day!’
A staffer for President Barack Obama’s Department of Homeland Security is praising the left-wing “May Day” protests. On Tuesday evening, Nate Snyder, the special adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for “Community Partnership and Strategic Engagement,” tweeted “Happy May Day! #solidarity.”
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