by Brendan McGovern, UUP Binghamton Chapter President.
May Day, observed each year on May 1, is one of the most important days in the global labor movement. Its origins trace back to the struggle for the eight-hour workday in the late 19th century, when hundreds of thousands of workers across the United States went on strike in 1886 demanding basic dignity on the job.
That movement culminated in the Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where workers protesting police violence were met with deadly force. In the aftermath, labor leaders were arrested, tried, and executed, despite a lack of evidence. Their sacrifice became a rallying point for workers worldwide. In 1889, May 1 was declared International Workers’ Day, a day to honor those who fought for labor rights and to continue that struggle.
May Day has always been about more than a single demand. It is about the fundamental idea that workers have the right to organize, to speak collectively, and to shape the conditions of their work and their lives.
Today, that struggle continues in higher education.
Faculty, professional staff, and campus workers are the backbone of colleges and universities. Our labor makes these institutions function. Yet too often, we are asked to do more with less. Students face rising costs and increasing debt. Public funding remains unstable. And across the country, higher education is being targeted in ways that threaten both academic freedom and the public mission of our institutions.
In the current political climate, these pressures are intensifying. Federal policies have cut research funding, undermined environmental protections, and expanded enforcement efforts that disrupt our campuses and communities. At the same time, resources continue to flow toward war and deportation, while education is asked to absorb cuts and instability.
That is why May Day matters now.
For higher education workers, May Day is a reminder that our struggles are connected. The fight for fair contracts, for living wages, for academic freedom, and for student access to education are all part of the same movement. When we stand together as workers, we have power. When we act collectively, we can push back against policies that undermine our institutions and our values.
This year, higher education unions across the country are coming together under a common message:
Fund education, not war and deportation.
On May Day, we will join with students, staff, and community allies to show what higher education looks like when it is united. We will stand up for institutions that serve the public good, not systems that exploit workers or abandon students.
There are many ways to take part.
Register for a May Day event near you here.
Learn more and get resources here.
Events are being held across the country, including in Binghamton, Ithaca, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and many more cities.
And most importantly, you can show up.
May Day is not just about remembering the past. It is about acting in the present. It is about making clear that higher education workers are part of a broader labor movement that is organized, visible, and ready to defend the work we do.
The workers of 1886 demanded eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will.
Today, we carry that fight forward.
In solidarity, we show up.