This Labor Day May Day Strong is focused on training
More than 500 labor and community organizations participated in the May 1 mobilization this year. For Labor Day, the coalition focused on training.
From August 28 through September 14, May Day Strong is encouraging everyone to attend or host trainings, actions and “Solidarity Schools” designed to build organizing skills and prepare communities to coordinate during future campaigns and crises. The coalition is committed to lawful, nonviolent action and de-escalation.
What is “Solidarity School”?
People who want to participate in pro-democracy movements need opportunities to learn how to organize.
Depending on the event, Solidarity School means: trainings, workshops or discussions focused on building strong communities.
May Day Strong is encouraging local groups to host trainings and they also provide Labor Day host toolkit, communications materials and event directory for those who want to participate.
What some of you might not know about May Day
The May Day labor tradition is closely tied to the American campaign for an 8 hour workday.
In 1886, workers across the US organized strikes and protests demanding shortened work hours, with Chicago being of the center of the movement.
That helped make May 1 a international day associated with workers and labor organizing. May Day is sometimes treated in the United States as foreign, a big part of its history grew from American workers organizing for rights that many of us take for granted.
How to participate
Find a May Day Strong action near you
Click here to see the Labor Day host toolkit and organizing resources
What would you want to learn?
If there were a Solidarity School near you, what would be useful: how to organize, how to get more people involved, protest safety and de-escalation trainings, workplace organizing?
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I have been trying to organize a Raging Grannnies singing group to sing at protests, meetings, and other events. I really need help organizing. My problem areas are finding a meeting place... can a politically active group use places like a Senior Center for their meetings? How often should we meet to keep up interest without tiring people out? What is the best way to communicate with participants... all of the women who are involved so far are not very techie. Email doesn't get checked, SMS messages don't get through to Android users. A facebook page doesn't get seen. The Raging Grannies International has a wonderful library of protest songs set to familiar tunes most of us know so the singing is easy and great. But I really need help getting us going on this.