While there are many important dates and commemorations for revolutionary workers, May 1st in particular holds profound importance not only for workers in the United States, but workers across the globe. Celebrated as International Workers Day, the date was chosen to commemorate the Haymarket Massacre, when police right here in the US, in Chicago, opened fire on workers demonstrating for the eight-hour work day. The outrage and rebellion provoked by the massacre echoed around the world and the International Communist Movement began to celebrate May 1st as a day that honors the sacrifices, struggles, and unity of all workers now and in the past.

It is also the single day most closely associated with the revolutionary labor movement, so much so that reactionary countries like the US designated their own fake “Labor Days” in other months like September to deflect and discourage celebration of the holiday. Despite the efforts to co-opt and crush celebration of May Day, revolutionary celebration of the day continues world wide, and NLP encourages its readers to tirelessly uphold not only International Workers Day, but the struggles it represents.

In the spirit of International Workers Day, we at New Labor Press call for all workers to fight for a combative, independent, and class-conscious labor movement, and for all of our readers to explore and initiate organizing in their workplace and sector under this slogan. We want to re-iterate our ask that all those who unite with our published positions on the labor movement to reach out to us via email, our (new!!!) social media accounts, the Contact Us page at this website, or whatever other means. We want to thank all those who have already reached out to share their thoughts, questions, experiences, and desire to organize their co-workers and fight against the capitalists and their state union puppets.

For clarification and elaboration on New Labor Press’s positions regarding the current establishment labor movement in the US, and the tasks of revolutionary workers given our conditions, please see in particular 1) State Unionism in the United States, 2) Shop Unit Guide, and 3) For Marxism and Against Centrism on the Labor Question as well as our other guides, editorials, testimonies, and statements.

For all workers nationally and internationally fighting against their many exploiters, oppressors and misleaders!

For a tireless struggle against imperialism here and abroad!

For a combative, independent, and class-conscious labor movement!

New Labor Press