May Day/International Workers Day, a Major US Holiday Ignored By The Media
PLANNING WATCH - Monday, September 7, 2026, was Labor Day, a holiday only celebrated in the United States and Canada as an alternative to May Day/International Workers Day. But in 95 countries May Day/International Workers Day is the official holiday, not the US and Canadian Labor Day. Celebrated on May 1, May Day is also observed in another 80 countries as a day honoring working people.
Although few people in the United States know the history of International Workers Day/May Day, the holiday began in the United States in 1886 to honor the workers shot by the police at a large demonstration in Chicago. Since then, this labor holiday has spread to the entire world. Demands range from reforms, as shown in the illustration above, to the total elimination of capitalism.
We now live through the irony in which the unrecognized (by the US government) holiday of May Day/International Workers Day, celebrated on May 1, often has more participants than the official Labor Day holiday. In fact, for most people in the United States “Labor Day” is simply a day off from work in early September. It marks the end of summer, when most people take vacation from work.
Nevertheless, May Day/International Workers Day is a holiday that sprang up from working people in Chicago in 1886 and gradually spread out to the entire world, where it is officially celebrated in most countries. In the meantime, Labor Day is the top-down alternative to May Day/International Workers Day in the United States and Canada.
May Day/International Workers Day was, however, never fully abandoned in the United States. In the 1930’s it was mostly celebrated by the U.S. Communist Party and its related organizations. In the 21st century annual May Day marches have become large events, growing in size as more unions, individuals, and immigrant rights groups joined in. One of the most important groups to participate was CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights), formed in 1984. While immigrants might or might not be workers, this change in focus demonstrably added to the number of people on the streets for May Day/International Workers Day events in Los Angeles and other US cities.
Recent May Day march in downtown Los Angeles.
The large number of union members participating in these annual May 1 marches suggest that the original theme of International Workers Day/May Day – worker activism and solidarity -- survives. The open question is whether the primary focus of future marches will be immigrant or workplace issues. While this is unknown, the large number of participants who are workers – for whom immigrant rights is not their main concern -- suggest that in the years ahead the original message of May Day – workers’ mutual support -- will revive.
Considering that in Los Angeles and other large American cities, immigrants make up a significant portion of the work force, the issue might not be that pressing, but to be sure that if/when the number of immigrants declines, May Day marches will continue and grow in Los Angeles and similar cities, like Chicago, where the May Day labor holiday began.
Dick Platkin is a retired Los Angeles city planner who writes about planning issues in LA. He is a member of United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles (UN4LA). Previous columns are available at the CityWatchLA archives.
