We are now just two weeks away from May Day, which more and more labor leaders and organizations are calling a day of “No Work, No School, No Shopping.” This call, which was the rallying slogan of the historic Minneapolis January 23 strike, is being brought to a nationwide scale, and the result has the potential to be massive, especially if the Iran ceasefire breaks down. While we likely won’t see a nationwide general strike, even partial work stoppages across the country would be an important step forward in the anti-Trump movement.
We demand to abolish ICE to fund affordable housing, education, and social services; for full citizenship rights for all; and an end to the destructive policies of US imperialism. For the last three months, Socialist Alternative members have been organizing in their workplaces, schools, and in the streets to build for the strongest possible action on May Day.
Educators Lead The Way
Educator unions have been at the forefront of the nationwide call for “No Work, No School, No Shopping” on May Day. One of the most significant developments is the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) calling for all educators across the state to rally in Raleigh on May Day instead of going to work. This is an example educator unions across the country should follow. While they don’t use the term “strike” in their statement, they point towards the important history of workers breaking the law to win key gains. If well built for, the NCAE can serve as a reference point not only for other educator unions leading up to May Day, but for unions in red states everywhere in preparing their forces for future battles.
Three of our union educator members in our North Carolina Triangle branch are active in organizing their coworkers to take action on May 1. Each day of this month, which NCAE has dubbed “Action April,” they spend the second half of their school day collecting “commitment cards” from coworkers to build for the strongest possible turnout at the Raleigh march. Part of this has included addressing the concerns of other educators, and utilizing a union-produced FAQ for this May Day action. Mass educator mobilization on May Day in North Carolina is especially vital being that the status of per pupil funding ranks 50th out of 50 states, despite a $7 billion state budget surplus.
In Minneapolis, one of our members in the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFE) organized alongside coworkers to gather petition signatures for a union referendum in support of “No Work, No School, No Shopping.” By collecting enough signatures, the referendum was brought to the floor for a vote, and passed in the Educational Support Paraprofessional (ESP) chapter of MFE. While ESP is only one of the three chapters of MFE, this is important momentum for building unionwide support for the day of “No Work, No School, No Shopping.” This is especially important in the city that has served as the epicenter of the anti-ICE movement.
Of course, not all educators are in unions, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take action on May Day. Another one of our teacher members has organized coworkers at her private school in New York City to strike on May Day. And this won’t be the first time—these educators first went on strike on January 30 in solidarity with the “nationwide shutdown” call put out by Minneapolis students. To prepare the strongest possible strike, in addition to holding regular organizing meetings, teachers are having a “strike ready” button-up day one week out from May 1. Small actions like these are important tests to build confidence and gauge support leading up to a bigger day of action. Check out our guide for more on how to organize an action like this!
Students Plan Solidarity Strikes
While students do not carry the same weight as workers, who produce profits for the bosses and make society run, they do have a massively important role to play in disrupting business as usual. Students, like teachers, have had their classrooms disrupted by ICE raids, with the horrifying abductions of their classmates. Waves of college, high school, and even middle school walk-outs over the last three months have been crucial in carrying the anti-ICE struggle forward. This has helped build pressure from below giving confidence and pushing the labor movement to step in more decisively.
In Milwaukee, our branch is organizing alongside immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera for a citywide student strike on May Day. This, combined with the Milwaukee Teachers’ Educator Association (MTEA) joining the call from the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) for May Day to be a “civic day of action,” can make for a powerful display of solidarity between teachers and students. To make this day of action a material reality, one of our educator members in MTEA is calling on his union to support the student strike both in resources and by organizing a solidarity sickout.
In New Haven, our newest branch, which includes both college and high school students, is part of organizing a citywide student strike. This organizing, led up by students at Hamden High School, builds on a successful walkout they organized on March 27, which brought out over 200 students.
We’re also active on college campuses from coast to coast. At University of Washington, our Seattle branch is planning for May Day to be their third, and largest, student walkout this year. This comes off the back of a walkout of over 700 students that led to an occupation of the UW President’s office to demand ICE off campus.
Our Philadelphia branch is organizing a “Students for a General Strike” contingent at their city’s May Day march after organizing a 500-strong anti-ICE student walkout at Temple University in March. Imagine what it would look like if every school in the US that planned an anti-ICE walkout this year joined for a nationwide student walkout on May Day! Check out our five-step guide on how to organize a student walkout!
Union & Non-Union Workplaces Take Up The Call
Educator and student strikes are likely to have the highest profile on May Day. But we’re organizing everywhere we can to bring more workplaces into the fold. At a faux-progressive, notoriously anti-union grocery chain in Pennsylvania, one of our members is organizing their coworkers to sickout with them on May Day. With nine coworkers already committed, there is potential to shut down the store.
In Madison, our branch has worked alongside coffee workers to form a citywide coffee worker coalition. Twenty coffee workers, representing both union and non-union coffee shops, came out to our first May Day organizing meeting and voted overwhelmingly to plan a sickout. Their next meeting, titled “We Like ICE in Our Coffee—Not Our Streets” has a target of bringing out 50 coffee workers to build support across cafes in the Madison area. Such actions at non-union workplaces are not only important for May Day, but can lay the groundwork for future organizing, including fighting for union recognition.
In the Bay Area, a tech hub, our members are organizing a national Zoom meeting on April 26 called “Tech Workers Against ICE and War.” Workers in the tech industry have been facing layoffs and more challenging work conditions for several years, and now the war in Iran has highlighted the role of technology in warfare and the horrifying prospect of autonomous weapons. Tech workers across the country are invited to join our meeting to discuss steps for striking on May Day.
Unfortunately, the “heavy battalions” of the working class, i.e. workers in building, transportation, and logistics are largely missing from the May Day call. These are the sectors with the most power to shut down major parts of the economy. However, even partial shutdowns or solidarity actions in these industries would be a step forward, and necessary in preparing for larger battles. That’s why one of our members in Philadelphia who is also a member of Boilermakers Local 19 is organizing a May Day contingent for shipyard workers. His employer, which mostly makes merchant vessels, is beginning to turn towards military production. This means that Local 19 has a key role to play in fighting against Trump’s plans for militarization in the face of the Iran war. A strong May Day contingent will be the start of fighting against war and connecting it to an upcoming contract battle for better wages and safety.
All Out For May Day!
While we can’t predict exactly what will happen on May Day, Socialist Alternative is committed to joining tens of thousands of workers and young people in strikes, sickouts, rallies, and marches. All of our branches will be mobilizing to May Day events across the country, and some branches are playing a role in leading up marches.
In San Diego, our branch has been actively involved in the Community Self Defense Coalition which includes several left groups, Unión de Barrio, and neighborhood patrol groups. In addition to coordinating citywide ICE patrols and rapid response, the coalition is putting on a May Day rally and march to further build their movement.
In Cincinnati, our branch hosted an Anti-ICE Action Conference in March alongside 12 endorsing left groups and community organizations. Coming out of the conference, Socialist Alternative, 50501, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) are organizing a march on May Day, putting pressure on local labor leaders to also take up the call.
With the threat of heightened war in Iran, the construction of more detention centers, and the rising prices of gas and groceries, we can’t afford to wait for the midterms. We need to build a working-class fightback now, one that forces Trump and the billionaires to back down. So join a protest, join a march, or start talking to your coworkers about planning strike action on May Day. And most importantly, get organized and join us to fight back against Trump, war, and capitalism!
