Filipino Workers Rally for May Day in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – Filipino employees joined forces with thousands of union members for a march. immigrant-rights Supporters gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday for the first of several planned marches. celebrating Labor Day internationally, also referred to as May Day.

A group of unions along with various organizations started their day with a large gathering near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown. As the morning progressed, the number of participants gradually increased before they set off on a march heading east on Olympic and turning north onto Los Angeles Street towards an earlier afternoon event planned just outside the Metropolitan Detention Center located on Alameda Street.

As stated by the Service Employees International Union, the march served as "a demonstration of support for immigrant communities, while simultaneously denouncing the Trump administration’s continuous assaults on immigrants and laborers. This strong alliance aims to unite their call for fair pay, secure workplaces, and a dignified future for every worker."

Participating organizations also include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, United Teachers Los Angeles, and Alliance for a Better Community.

No incidents or arrests related to the demonstration were reported.

The demonstrations occurred just two days following the massive protest by thousands of striking Los Angeles County employees affiliated with SEIU Local 721. This rally proceeded through the downtown area. The SEIU strike commenced late Monday night and concluded Wednesday evening.

In line with May Day celebrations, thousands of healthcare, research, and technical employees from the University of California staged a one-day strike at various UC locations throughout the state.

The organization known as University Professional and Technical Workers asserts that this action is taken in reaction to a campus-wide hiring freeze implemented by the UC back in March. The union believes this decision has worsened the ongoing staffing shortage within the university system.

The UPTE has been involved in negotiations for a contract with the university, and the union organized a three-day statewide strike in February.

Many nations globally observe International Workers' Day, which traces its roots back to the 1880s and originally aimed at advocating for an eight-hour workday.

In the U.S., May 1 was selected to mark the anniversary of a nationwide labor protest that started on that day in 1886. The events culminated on May 4, 1886, during a peaceful gathering in Chicago’s Haymarket Square advocating for worker rights, which turned violent after someone threw a dynamite bomb at law enforcement officers attempting to break up the assembly.

Ten individuals lost their lives, and approximately 190 more sustained injuries. (CNS contribution)