More than 4,000 people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol on Thursday evening May 1 to mark International Workers Day, also known as May Day, joining one of more than 1,000 labor protests across the United States and hundreds more around the globe.
Braving cold and rainy conditions, protesters from more than 50 co-sponsoring organizations — including labor unions, immigrant rights groups, civil rights organizations, and youth activists — called for improved working conditions, fair wages, and stronger protections for marginalized workers.
The event in St. Paul was one of many held globally on May 1, a date that commemorates the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, where a peaceful rally for the eight-hour workday turned deadly. In the years since, May Day has become a symbolic date for labor movements worldwide, honoring both victories and sacrifices made in pursuit of economic justice.
“May Day is not just about the past — it’s about today,” said Dieu Do, an organizer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). “I’m a child of working-class immigrants, and that’s what brought me out here. We’re still fighting many of the same battles.”
Among the featured speakers was Marsha Howard, president of the teaching chapter of MFT Local 59, who urged the crowd to recognize their collective power. “I need you to think about your neighbor and your co-worker,” Howard said.
“The immigrants we are talking about are your neighbor. They are your co-worker. They are the schoolchildren that go to school with your children.”
Quoting civil rights activist Angela Davis, Howard added: “If they come for me in the morning, they’ll be coming for you at night. History will judge us. Where will you be when someone looks back and sees your photo in a history book? Will they see you on the right side?”
Sarah Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, emphasized the ongoing fight for fair contracts in the airline industry. “United Airlines flight attendants are fighting for an industry-leading contract,” she said.
“Our union is also fighting a greedy business model that pays some flight attendants 45% less for doing the same job. Meanwhile, 29,000 Delta flight attendants are organizing for their first union contract.”
“Our fight is the same as the entire working class,” Nelson continued. “Social justice is tied directly to economic justice. And it’s time we exercise our power — together.”
Among those in the crowd was Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul, whose birthday falls on May 1. Before entering politics, Pérez-Vega was an artist and activist. Protesters sang her “Happy Birthday” in Spanish before she took the microphone.
“I’m proud to stand here in my district,” she said. “When I was a little girl, my cousins were cleaning the skyways downtown. You are one tribe — the engine. Whether you’re contracted as custodians, builders, nurses or teachers, you power this state.”
Following the speeches, the crowd marched for more than two and a half miles through downtown St. Paul, led by a group of sixth graders who chanted through a microphone. Their words echoed through the wet streets:
“What’s disgusting? Union busting! What’s outrageous? Poverty wages!”
Among the marchers was Abdullahi Abshair, a rideshare driver advocating for union representation for Uber and Lyft drivers. “Most of the money goes to Uber and Lyft,” he said. “We just get exploited as immigrant drivers. We don’t get health care, paid time off, or even the guaranteed minimum wage some days. We’re organizing not because we want to fight, but because we want fairness.”
Minnesota’s labor landscape
Thursday’s protest comes amid a shifting labor landscape in Minnesota. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 14.2% of Minnesota’s workforce was unionized in 2023 — nearly double the national average of 10.0%. The state added over 30,000 union members last year, reflecting a nationwide surge in labor organizing.
Sectors such as education, health care, and public service remain heavily unionized, while organizing drives have recently emerged in logistics, retail, and the gig economy. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, union campaigns among Amazon workers, food service employees, and transportation drivers have gained traction.
Despite the growth, income inequality and workplace protections remain key concerns. A 2023 report by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development found that Black, Latino, and Indigenous workers in Minnesota consistently earn less than their white counterparts, even when controlling for education and experience.
Organizers say this inequality drives the continued urgency of May Day actions. “We want to remind people that labor rights and immigrant rights are inseparable,” said Dieu Do. “When corporations roll back protections, it’s always the most vulnerable who get hit first.”
Thursday’s demonstration was part of a global wave of May Day protests spanning from New York to Istanbul, Tokyo to London. In cities across the world, workers rallied for higher wages, union rights, and dignity on the job.
In Minnesota, the message was clear: The fight for worker justice is far from over.
Chris Juhn is a freelance photographer and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.