The hated Iran war, Epstein revelations, grinding affordability crisis, and ICE’s rampage across the country are driving millions of American workers into struggle against the capitalist system.

January’s movement in Minneapolis proved that mass working class action can defeat Trump. More importantly, it demonstrated, in practice, that the American working class is capable of creatively organizing a mass struggle, on its own terms, when presented with the opportunity. Following in the Minneapolis movement’s wake, the March 28 “No Kings” demonstrations brought an estimated eight million people into the streets across the country.

A militant mood is spreading through the US working class, and it’s finding an outlet in mass demonstrations. Workers determined to fight back against the system find themselves with few other options. Despite polls showing that 70% of Americans support trade unions, only 10% of workers belong to one. The liberal labor leaders are incapable of harnessing pro-union sentiment to organize the unorganized.

On the electoral front, the Democratic Party is even more hated than Trump, and no class-independent mass party exists to mobilize workers. Since other avenues for struggle are blocked, protest movements and demonstrations are attracting mass participation.

Faced with this pressure from below, the labor leaders, reformists, and a section of the liberals have been forced to revive a revolutionary American tradition: May Day.

“May Day Strong”

Also known as International Workers’ Day, it has its origins in the intense class struggles of 19th-century America. The Socialist International, when it was still led by Marxists, spread this day of militant action worldwide as part of the struggle for the eight-hour day.

While May 1 remains an important focal point of the class struggle in other countries, the American labor leadership shunned May Day for decades due to its overtly revolutionary and communist heritage. But the class polarization in society, and the intensifying militant mood engendered by it, are forcing more perceptive elements of the labor leadership to finally turn back to May Day, restoring it as a weapon in the hands of the working class.

To that end, a coalition called “May Day Strong” has emerged, calling for May Day “actions” in cities across America. The coalition claims the support of more than 500 organizations, encompassing some liberal groups like 50501, the DSA and many of its local chapters, environmental organizations, and other small left groups. According to May Day Strong’s website, there will be actions in hundreds of cities throughout the country on May 1.

Most importantly, the May Day movement boasts the support of many important labor unions like the American Federation of Teachers and National Nurses United, as well as dozens of union locals and labor councils across the US. Influential bodies like the NYC Central Labor Council are supporting this effort, possibly for the first time since 1955—a significant and welcome break with the past.

While enthusiasm is high, this burgeoning movement is politically diffuse. The rallying slogan—“workers over billionaires”—clearly highlights the class nature of this movement, and is a great place to start. The May Day Strong coalition highlights calls to tax the rich, drive ICE out of our cities, and “expand democracy” in advance of the midterm elections. In some cases, local organizers have formulated a more extensive agenda, like the Philadelphia AFL-CIO’s “Working People’s Vision for Philadelphia.”

Organizing a general strike

Echoing the Minneapolis general strike of January 23, May Day Strong is calling for a day of “no work, no school, no shopping” on May 1. It’s necessary to make this demand a reality by laying the foundations of a serious struggle. Mass organizations of the working class like the unions, together with large organizations like the DSA, possess the strength, resources, and authority to build toward a nationwide general strike.

In Philadelphia, our party is waging a communist May Day campaign, agitating across the city to draw as many people into the struggle as possible. / Image: own work

A successful general strike cannot be simply proclaimed—it must be organized. The union leaders could have discussed the May Day initiative at union meetings months ahead to begin preparations. This isn’t merely a logistical endeavor. Political motivation is needed to explain to millions of workers why it is worth it for them to strike.

Workplace assemblies could have been organized to get broader input, increase participation, and explain the reasons to participate in the May 1 action: Inflation is eating away at wages and rent is through the roof. The US imperialist adventure in the Middle East is only making things worse. So, workers must demand wage increases. Healthcare is already bankrupting us, even if we have insurance—and the government is proposing more cuts to public services like Medicaid. The billionaires are making a killing while conditions continue to deteriorate. Yet it is the working class that produces all the wealth in society, while the parasites at the top spend billions on senseless wars, and enjoy their luxuries in private islands.

A successful May Day strike would be a show of working-class power, striking fear into the hearts of the Epstein class. It would signal to the capitalists that the working-class movement is back in America!

A strike of this kind would be technically illegal under the Taft-Hartley Act, an unjust law that deprives workers of our basic human right to withhold our labor to fight ruthless exploitation. Labor leaders often use Taft-Hartley as an excuse not to pursue militant action. But workers make up the vast majority of society. If we all strike as one, there is nothing that can stop us—certainly not a single piece of undemocratic legislation. And if the rulers try to enforce it, we will extend and expand the strike.

This kind of class-struggle message would get an overwhelmingly positive response. Workers and youth who are already angry at the billionaires would be even more compelled to play an active role in coordinating the struggle, spreading it through neighborhood assemblies, in their schools, and among their families and friends.

Unfortunately, the current labor leaders did not take this approach. This brings into sharp focus the need to build a revolutionary party. Such a party could, over time, establish communist nuclei in key workplaces and unions. On that basis, a core of communist activists could spread the program laid out above to mobilize the rank and file, while exerting pressure on the existing leadership to do more.

All out on May 1!

The Revolutionary Communists of America heartily welcomes and celebrates the growing movement for May Day, and we are mobilizing our forces to participate in dozens of cities. For example, in Philadelphia—where the RCA organized a May Day demonstration on our own initiative in 2024—our party is waging a communist May Day campaign, agitating across the city to draw as many people into the struggle as possible.

May Day cannot be allowed to fall under the sway of the liberals. They are anxious about the November midterm elections and want to turn this year’s May Day demonstrations into pep rallies for the antiworker Democratic Party, converting working-class energy into a toothless spectacle.

To fight back against Trump, we can’t “wait until the midterms” to elect Democrats who are every bit as much our enemies as the GOP. On the contrary, militant workers should pull the plug on the hated Democrats!

As the struggle in Minneapolis vividly demonstrated, we as the US working class are more than capable of taking matters into our own hands. Workers and young people in America have grown tired of meaningless “actions”—they want to take a real fight to Trump and this rotten system.

The unions involved in May Day Strong along with DSA should promote and convene mass workers’ assemblies during the May Day demonstrations, where serious preparations can be made for a future nationwide general strike. A massive May Day turnout could reveal the contours of a new workers’ party, provided this struggle is armed with class-independent politics which point the way to a workers’ government.

The Revolutionary Communists of America say:

• All out for May Day!
• Union leaders: organize a general strike!
• Build a party of the working class!
• Down with Trump’s war!
• Workers of the world, unite!