Partner Organization Resources

May Day: MADE IN THE U.S.A. --- A Brief History

When the immigrant-rights movement chose May Day for its big demonstrations a few years ago, people shouldn’t have been surprised. The worldwide workers’ holiday was “Made in the U.S.A.”

May Day’s roots are deep in American history. In 1886, seeking the spark that would ignite the struggling labor movement, the fledgling American Federation of Labor called a general strike for the eight-hour day to begin on May Day, the carpenters’ traditional day for setting wages and conditions.

Freeway bannering is a powerful tool for activists. It’s inexpensive, most of the required material is reusable, and it’s an effective way to reach thousands, even tens of thousands, of people in a short period of time.

This method of building a pipeline is extremely inexpensive and pretty quick. It folds up very easy for transportation and is extremely light for people to carry. Just make sure people carrying it hold it far enough apart with a little tension between the pieces so it looks like a pipeline.