On Thursday, May 1, UE locals across the country participated in International Workers’ Day actions to stand up for workers’ rights. Local 667 joined a march in Pittsburgh and Local 1498-GWU held a series of actions throughout their campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, including a screening of the film UNION, which tells the story of how Amazon workers in Staten Island won their union. Local 896-COGS in Iowa City, Iowa participated in a mass march to stop deportations and to keep families together. They also held another action on May 2 to protest the University of Iowa’s attempt to roll back programs to address racism and sexism on campus. Local 1466 (UGW of UNM) had a bargaining session with University of New Mexico administration and turned out 50 members to put pressure on the boss before heading to a local rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In Baltimore, UE Local 197-TRU graduate workers organized a protest at Johns Hopkins University to demand the administration make the university a sanctuary campus, commit to fully funding ongoing research, and publicly affirm support for academic freedom. In an interview with CBS Baltimore, Local 197 member Sheridon Ward said, “We're going to keep making noise until our academic freedom and our international workers have adequate protection. We have a responsibility to use our union power when our workers are threatened."
Local 197-TRU members present their demands to Johns Hopkins administration.
Local 1043-SWGU joined a local San Francisco rally and organized a speak-out campaign to show their university how important grad workers are. Local 300-CGSU joined an Ithaca rally and celebration of working-class struggle. Local 1105 (UMN-GLU) focused on celebrating immigrant workers at their action in the Twin Cities, while Local 256 (MIT-GSU) participated in a Boston march for worker power over billionaires. The MIT grad workers spoke out about the recent attacks on higher education, immigrant students, and scientific research. In Chicago, members of Local 1103-GSU and Local 1122-NUGW marched through the city streets after holding their own actions on their campuses.
Members of UE Locals 1103-GSU and 1122-NUGW march in Chicago.
Local 1107 and Local 1186 members attended a panel discussion in Madison, Wisconsin centered on preparing for a 2028 general strike. The panel was hosted by Madison Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and included Local 1107 Recording Secretary David Berg, Local 1186 steward Matthew Thompson, and representatives from the South Central Federation of Labor and the United Faculty and Academic Staff. When discussing demands that would be made in the general strike, Berg raised the idea of eliminating Right to Work for Less legislation in Wisconsin, which prohibits closed shops in the state. He also brought up single payer universal healthcare as a future demand. He made the point that not only does for-profit insurance eat into workers' wages, but the threat of losing health insurance is a major obstacle to workers striking for better conditions. Local 1186 members also marched for immigrant and workers’ rights on May 2 (see article below by Local 1186 member Elizabeth White.)
UE members Matthew Thompson, Local 1186 (left) and David Berg, Local 1107 (right) speak on a panel about a 2028 General Strike on May Day in Madison, Wisconsin.
Local 150 chapters showed up as a contingent to the May Day march in Raleigh, North Carolina. Local 150 UNC Chapel Hill chapter President Nyssa Tucker was part of the Durham labor choir that sang at the rally. The UE members then marched with other unions and community organizations in front of the state legislature. Speakers included Local 150 Vice President William Young and UE Field Organizer Brea Perry. They focused on the need to fight back through organizing and labor actions like striking against the far-right oligarchy that is taking shape in the U.S. Most of the speakers pointed out the need to speak out against the Palestinian genocide and ICE's repressive actions. A highlight of the march was the international solidarity mentioned in a majority of the speakers’ speeches.
Local 1186 Members Join Day Without Immigrants and Workers March
By Elizabeth White, UE Local 1186
In Madison, Local 1186 joined dozens of community organizations in a Day Without Immigrants and Workers march on May 2. Over a thousand strong, we took to the street and occupied the capitol once more in scenes reminiscent of 2011, when as a united front against Scott Walker the people took our house and lived there as a community building bridges instead of walls.
Local 1186 maintains an action calendar on our social media and reaches deep networks of activism through our radicalized membership. Led by Voces do la Frontera, more than 20 members of our local stood behind our brand new marching banner next to nurses from one local hospital fighting to form a union and with another group of nurses who just sent out a 10 day notice to strike. We joined dairy farmers and teachers and organized labor from every sector. Our unified message of worker solidarity brought us together and in true Wisconsin fashion the megaphone was passed from hand to hand — every body has a right to be heard. In Madison when you leave a rally the rally does not leave you. We will come together again and again, stronger and louder until our demands are met.