On May 1, working people around B.C. will participate in May
Day events to celebrate the labour movement’s ongoing and historical
achievements.
The Vancouver and District Labour Council is hosting a dinner
and evening celebration at the Maritime Labour Centre. Check with your local Labour Council to see what’s happening in your community.
May Day’s designation as an international day for workers’
rights started in the
States
Trades and Labor Unions declared May 1, 1886, as the date on which the
eight-hour work day would become standard.
On that day, it’s estimated that more than 300,000 workers
in 13,000 businesses across the
walked off their jobs in the first May Day celebration in history.
Today, May Day is still used as a symbol for political
mobilization. In 2002, a million demonstrated against far-right French
candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen. And more recently, May Day 2006 was designated as
the “day without immigrants,” in which more than one million rallied and
marched through cities across the
workers’ rights.