by Maximillian Alvarez | May 4, 2026 | baltimore, Economy and Inequality, May Day, Politics and Movements: US, protest, video
Inspired by January’s mass strike against ICE terror in Minnesota, a vast coalition of labor unions, democratic organizations, and community groups organized protests around the US on Friday, May 1, to coincide with International Workers Day (aka May Day). Organizers called for a one-day “economic blackout” (“no school, no work, no shopping”) in protest of authoritarianism and government policies that put billionaires’ needs above those of workers. TRNN takes you inside the Baltimore, Maryland, May Day march so you can see it and hear directly from protesters yourself.
Additional links/info:
Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / TRNN, “May 1: Unions, community orgs plan nationwide ‘economic blackout’ against billionaires and authoritarianism”
Hamilton Nolan, In These Times, “May Day was a reminder that we make the world run”
Credits:
Videography / Post-Production: Maximillian Alvarez
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated as soon as possible.
Maximillian Alvarez: This is Maximillian Alvarez for the Real News Network. I’m here in downtown Baltimore and behind me. Around a hundred or more local residents are marching through the streets of downtown on Mayday in solidarity with others around the country who are participating in the Mayday Strong Day of Protests inspired by the anti-ice mass strike that shut down Minneapolis earlier this year. Organizers are calling for a day of no work, no school, no shopping. Here in Baltimore, the demonstration may be on the smaller side, but the spirit is still very lively. I’m about to take you into the heart of the march so you can see it for yourself.
So here in Baltimore, you’re seeing a lot of the signs you’re probably seeing at
by Ella Fassler | May 1, 2026 | Business Unionism, class struggle, International Workers Day, Interview, May Day, Organizing, solidarity, Starbucks Workers United, Unions
Despite a hostile labor environment, the number of workers under a union contract in the U.S. reached a 16-year high in 2025, and public support for unions hit as high as 71 percent. The labor movement secured a number of impressive victories, including a new contract for dockworkers that raised wages by 60 percent following a brief strike, and unionized journalists at Politico and E&E News (PEN…
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by Eman Abu Zayed | May 1, 2026 | Economy, Gaza, Genocide, International Workers Day, Israel, Jobs, Labor Day, May Day, News Analysis, Palestine, Unemployment, War, Workers
As workers around the world celebrate and recognize their efforts on May 1 — known globally as May Day or International Workers’ Day and celebrated in Palestine as Labor Day — this day passes in Palestine under a harsh economic reality that reflects a deepening crisis in the labor market and unprecedented levels of unemployment. According to data from the Palestinian Central Bureau of…
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by Chris Mills Rodrigo | Apr 29, 2026 | Activism, Chicago, civic engagement, CTU, ICE, International Workers Day, Interview, May Day, protest, Students
This May Day, workers, students, and families across the country are set to turn out in the thousands or even millions to make their voices heard against the growing power of the billionaire class. May Day, often referred to as International Workers’ Day, has a long legacy in the labor movement. In the late 1800’s — an era of extreme wealth concentration much like our own — American workers…
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by Jessica Corbett | Mar 21, 2026 | Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, ICE, immigration, labor, Labor Unions, May Day, Minnesota, News, No Kings, Trump Administration, White House
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Saturday that he is set to headline two major rallies next weekend “as part of a growing national movement challenging oligarchy and economic inequality,” including the flagship “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol. The Vermont Independent plans to join other progressive elected officials, labor leaders, and organizers in Minneapolis on the…
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