May Day 2011 Summary of Events

May Day Event Summary

9AM

Casita Community Acupuncture: will be offering FREE acupuncture on May Day as part of the Community Acupuncture Network's 9th Annual May Day celebration! Thank you for joining us as we commemorate International Worker’s Day by offering free acupuncture to all patients on Sunday, May 1st-- 9am-1pm!!

9:30AM

Soccer Tournament
Teams have been created to have a May Day Soccer Tournament, teams need to meet at 9:30AM at the West Side Community Center, 1250 Isleta Blvd SW.

Noon

The Walk to Cure Capitalism will start at noon at La Plazita Institute, 831 Isleta SW and go to the West Side Community Center, 1250 Isleta SW. Please park at the empty lot on Lopez SW. Walking from the plazita near Lopez and Isleta is allowed as well. The purpose of the walk is to promote working class solidarity amongst all workers, – immigrant and citizen – to have fun, and to bring light to workers issues.

We ask marchers to please wear red and black.

1-5PM

Celebrating Our Victories and Continuing the Struggle Together.

At the West Side Community Center, 1250 Isleta Blvd SW. Picnic style!

Food, live music, DJ, jumpy jumps, kids' activities, soccer, face painting, games, raffles, and medical screening by Casa de Salud, tables, speeches, and lots and lots of fun!...

For more information call El Centro de Derechos Igualdad y Derechos 246-1627.

May Day 2011 Celebration

May 1st Celebration - Celebrating Our Victories and Continuing the Struggle Together.

1-5PM at the West Side Community Center, 1250 Isleta Blvd SW. Picnic style!

Food, live music, DJ, jumpy jumps, kids' activities, soccer, face painting, games, raffles, and medical screening by Casa de Salud, tables, speeches, and lots and lots of fun!...

For more information call El Centro de Derechos Igualdad y Derechos 246-1627.

Walk to Cure Capitalism 2011

We want to extend an invitation to all Working Class people and allies to participate in the "Walk to Cure Capitalism" and the May Day event planned at the Westside Community Center.

The walk will start at noon at La Plazita Institute, 831 Isleta SW and go to the West Side Community Center, 1250 Isleta SW. Please park at the empty lot on Lopez SW. Walking from the plazita near Lopez and Isleta is allowed as well.

The purpose of the walk is to promote working class solidarity amongst all workers, – immigrant and citizen – to have fun, and to bring light to workers issues. We ask marchers to please wear red and black.

The Facebook Cause for the Walk is: http://www.causes.com/causes/601804-walk-to-cure-capitalism

There is also an event at the Westside Community Center that begins at 1pm. There will be food, entertainment, games for the kids and the Casa de Salud (A non-insurance low-cost health center on the corner of Isleta and Arenal) will be offering a health fair. A co-ed soccer game is also scheduled and is $5 a-person with 5-8 players. There MUST be both men and women on the team. (Minimum age is 12.)

Here is a breakdown of events:

Monday April 24th: Planning meeting at Encuentro, 714 4^th St SW at 5PM. Translation avail.

Saturday April 30th: Sign making, 1PM at El Chante.

Sunday May 1st: 12-noon, Walk starts, 1pm, Event starts.

We know that capitalism cannot be "cured" - this is a lighthearted approach to the serious issues of right to organize, workers rights, income and power concentration, corporate encroachment upon our lives, immigrant rights issues and more!

Again, please wear red and black.

A 2011 May Day Call To Action 2

If you are on FaceBook go to "Burque's May Day" or "Walk to Cure Capitalism" - there will be details on Albuquerque's International Workers Day events!

A 2011 May Day Call To Action

The Bernalillo County La Raza Unida had been working with other groups for May Day events since the 1990s. Worker power and working class solidarity are the general themes. This year we will have an event for International Workers' Day around noon. Please save the date!

From another group:
This is a call to join a network of worker centers, community organizations, and labor unions to increase national participation and power on May Day 2011 to win good jobs, legalization, and equality for every worker. As we all know, Congress and state governments across the nation have begun to wage a relentless attack against all workers this year and in years to come, especially immigrant workers and workers of color. At the same time, the remarkable energy, turnout, and spirit seen five years ago on May 1, 2006 has yet to be duplicated.

Read more at http://maydayunited.org/2011/02/19/call-to-action/

We need to gain the spirit of the original May Day!

More May Day Pictures

Pictures from the SWOP Blogger!

Great May Day March!

Here are some of our members marching. More to come this week.

May Day Information

May 1, 1886, became historic. On that day thousands of workers in the larger industrial cities poured into the streets, demanding eight hours. About 340,000 took part in demonstrations in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and other places. Of these nearly 200,000 actually went out on strike. About 42,000 won the eight-hour day. Another 150,000 got a shorter day than they had had before.

* * *

International Workers' Day was founded for the struggle for something we take for granted - the 8 hour work day. Back in 1884 a general strike was called for May 1, 1886. This work was done by groups of workers in the US and included a large number of immigrant workers. Moderate labor organizers worked with the bosses and had the first monday in September declared "Labor Day" in order to seperate themselves from those who fought for the 8 hour day, women's equality, equality for immigrants, and other ideas.

So as history has it - May 1 as a labor day started in the US by a diverse group of men and women from many countries - immigrants - is recognized around the world except here.
http://www.londonmayday.org/

A friend from Mexico pointed out that red and black are "strike" colors. For those who died for me to have an 8 hour work day, weekends, and so much more wear red and black on International Workers' Day. Respect the calls for peace that the organizers of the event in Albuquerque and still honor those who have fought and died for workers' rights in all countries.
http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/MayDay2009/
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/images/2006/05/mayday_caracas2.jpg
http://desdelabalaustra.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/primero-mayo-1886-chicago1.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3251251238_f9756b32af.jpg

Thanks to all who have organized for Primero de Mayo now and in the past!!
http://anarchistblackcat.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=746
http://newmexico.indymedia.org/news/2006/05/2760.php

Tea Party Lessons

Well there was lots of glowing coverage of the Tea Party protests. The lesson learned is that there needs to be a counter balance to the extremist right wing. If the only people out in the streets are these tea baggers, then very possibly the Democratic party will continue its slide to the right in order to court votes.

This will lead to more things in Albuquerque like the public schools cheese sandwhiches. A short video is available on Good Morning America. Go here and if it is not on the front page search "School Lunch Shame." The tea baggers think that it is OK to give kids this "food" because their parents are having a hard time paying for lunch, it is OK to underpay educational assistants, and overpay administration!

May Day is coming - let's get a BIG turnout and show some real power!

Interesting Information (3/23/09)

The Second International, which was an international organization of political parties, led to the founding of the Socialist International.

In 1889 they declared May 1 as International Labour Day. A day that began in the US. And in 1910 they declared March 8 as International Women's Day. Some nice facts.

A side note - in 1980 the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, Union del Barrio, and Partido Nacional La Raza Unida declared August 29 - Raza Memorial Day, honoring those who died for Chicana and Chicano freedom and liberation.