Standing up for Workers’ Rights—May Day isn’t (Quite) the same as Labor Day.

I had a close friend in high school who challenged me, intellectually, because we were the best of friends, but agreed on absolutely nothing in the political sphere. I leaned left, they leaned right. It didn’t break our friendship but it did cause a whole lot of soul searching and, frankly, confusion.

One such conversation was about labor unions. They weren’t a big fan. I was befuddled about why one wouldn’t want to support workers’ rights. After all, it was unions who fought to give this country the concept of an eight-hour workday. Everyone, union worker or not, had gained from their hard work, dedication, and attention toward the well-being of workers in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Not supporting this felt like a fuse shorting out in my brain.

My friend and I never did agree. And though I am not a union worker myself, I am still, to this day, an avid advocate for worker’s rights and a supporter of May Day.

And it was while having a conversation with a loved one this week ahead of May Day that I realized: most folks don’t quite know the difference between May Day and Labor Day. That’s not surprising considering how history is usually given a good dunk in hot water, a soapy cleaning, and a long airing before it reaches schools in the United States.

Grab a drink, get a snack. Let’s chat.

I went to a source that I figured would be reputable on the subject. The Encyclopedia Britannica. According to them, May Day and Labor Day both honor workers but they are different observances within the labor movement.

“May Day (May 1st) is international and overtly related to workers’ historic struggles. Labor Day (the first Monday in September) is an American and Canadian holiday that recognizes workers’ contributions to society.”

And it turns out, my loved one isn’t the only one unsure of just what “May Day” is because the history has been pretty darn squashed in the United States.

Check out this video for proof of that:

 

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So just to sum that up, May Day honors the struggle of the labor movement. It has a history of pushing for, and making, change. Labor Day honors the contributions those works have made to society, rather than the work and the hardships that got us to this point.

Curious to know more? This is a great video about May Day and worker’s rights:

 

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This year, in 2026, there’s a call to action for May Day.

RSVP to add your name to the list and commit to “workers over billionaires.”

Inspired by the Minnesota Day of Truth & Freedom in January, there’s a larger, country-wide call for an economic blackout asking people to pledge to do what they can to support the rallying cry of: “no school, no work, no shopping.”

Why? Because if May Day has taught us anything, it’s that the actions of workers can have a resounding economic impact on the country, making changes akin to shockwaves. But Ezra Levin from Indivisible explained it in the best way I’ve heard yet: