May 1: A Nationwide 'Economic Blackout' Against Billionaires and Authoritarianism

Key takeaways

Mayday is a crucial day for workers to lead actions, express international solidarity, and challenge billionaire and government oppression.
Preparations for Mayday involve broad coalition-building, including marches, rallies, political education, and direct actions like protests and economic blackouts.
The struggle extends beyond local issues; it incorporates international solidarity, especially linking workers’ struggles in the U.S. with those in the Philippines and globally.
Building a strong, united, and militant movement is essential for future victories, including the possibility of strikes and disrupting unjust systems.
Political engagement and more workers running for office are vital strategies to challenge systemic inequalities and corporate power.
Imagination and vision are necessary parts of organizing, helping workers see and fight for a better future.

Summary

The Significance of Mayday for Workers and the Labor Movement

The episode emphasizes the historic and ongoing importance of Mayday (International Workers Day) as a day for workers to lead struggles, express solidarity globally, and resist the erosion of workers' rights. Panelists discuss how Mayday represents not only a tradition of labor activism but also a call to action to build a more militant, organized movement that challenges billionaire power and promotes international solidarity. The day serves as a reminder that the fight for workers' rights is ongoing and inherited by each generation.

Current Labor Movements and Mayday Organizing Across Cities

The podcast features updates from Philadelphia, Chicago, and Iowa about the ongoing preparations for Mayday protests. In Philadelphia, organizers are planning a large march and a public vote on a workers’ vision for the city, emphasizing issues like healthcare, safe housing, and opposing billionaire dominance. Chicago’s Filipino migrant community is mobilizing for rallies and a national migrant workers conference to highlight immigrant workers' struggles and connect local and international fights. Iowa's experience reflects a recent surge in worker activism amid conservative political attacks, with efforts to confront corporate and political power through protests and political engagement. The panelists describe how these efforts respond to intensified threats such as anti-migrant policies, worker exploitation, and government repression.

Building a Broader and United Workers' Movement for the Future

Panelists underscore the importance of solidarity across sectors, including migrants, healthcare workers, youth, and faith communities, to fight systemic exploitation and build power. They discuss the need for offensive strategies—such as targeted protests—alongside defensive actions against authoritarian and neoliberal policies. The conversation highlights how Mayday aims to inspire continuous organizing, prepare for larger actions like strikes, and foster a vision of a better, equitable world led by workers. The speakers advocate for increased political engagement, including workers running for office, as a crucial step toward sustainable change and collective empowerment.

Show notes

Inspired by January's mass strike against ICE terror in Minnesota, a vast coalition of labor unions, democratic organizations, and community groups are organizing a nationwide economic blackout on Friday, May 1, International Workers Day. "May Day Strong events are being planned across the US," Michael Sainato reports at The Guardian, "with organizers calling for 'no school, no work, no shopping,' in protest of government policies they say put billionaires' needs above those of workers."

In this episode of Working People, we speak with a panel of guests who are all involved in organizing May Day events this week from Philadelphia to Chicago to Iowa. Panelists include: Jana Korn, who currently serves as the chief of staff for the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, and also serves on the board of Philadelphia Jobs with Justice; Jeff Kurtz, a retired locomotive engineer and union officer who also served as a state representative in the Iowa House of Representatives; and John Emiliano, a healthcare worker and organizer in Chicago with the Tahanan Center and Tanggol Migrante, a grassroots Filipino migrant defense network.

Additional links/info:

May Day Strong coalition website
Workers Over Billionaires 2026 - Philadelphia Linktree
Workers Over Billionaires 2026 - Chicago details
Lee County (Iowa) Labor Chapter Facebook page and May Day 2026 details
Tahanan Filipino Center Instagram
Tanggol Migrante website
Latino Union of Chicago website
Michael Sainato, The Guardian, "US activists plan May Day economic blackout: 'No school, no work, no shopping'"

Featured Music:

Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

Credits:

Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor