All out for May Day

Hit the streets for International Workers Day, in solidarity with working people around the world fighting for dignity and justice

SEATTLE, WA (April 20, 2026) — Organized labor is hitting the streets on Friday, May 1 to mark International Workers Day, or May Day. May Day is born out of the struggle for an eight-hour work day here in the U.S., when hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets in 1886 in a general strike. Villainized in the media and targeted by state violence, workers nonetheless stood together against exploitation and for a more just world.

This year, calls for mass action on May Day have taken on new urgency as the federal government continues eroding workers rights, targeting immigrant workers, and chipping away at democracy. Millions of people are expected to hit the streets nationwide. Here are some of the events planned for International Workers Day in Washington state:

SEATTLE — Friday, May 1 starting at 12:00 p.m. in Cal Anderson Park. From the organizers:

“May Day – International Workers’ Day – is a day born from the labor struggles of working people right here in the United States, a powerful National Day of Action uniting labor, immigrants, and community organizations in the streets.

Seattle has a proud and living history of workers and communities taking collective action, and May Day 2026 is our moment to stand together under the banner of ‘Join the Fight! Workers, Migrants, and Immigrants Unite!'”

More information available at SeattleMayDay.org.

TACOMA —  Friday, May 1 starting at 4:00 p.m. at 915 Broadway, Tacoma. From the organizers:

“We are united by the aim of planning the biggest and boldest May Day action Tacoma has ever seen!

We are mobilizing local unions, immigrant rights groups, community organizations, and the general public to unite against monopoly capitalism, against the administration’s attacks on workers and immigrants, and against war in Iran. We will take to the streets in resistance to make our demands clear and actionable on May 1, 2026.”

More information available at TacomaMayDay.org.

OLYMPIA — Friday, May 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Sylvester Park in Olympia. From the organizers:

“Working people across Thurston, Lewis and Mason counties – and across the United States – are struggling to make ends meet. Everything is too expensive, and our paychecks aren’t growing… but as we work harder, billionaire bosses get richer and richer. America wasn’t built by greedy billionaires and corporations, though – hardworking people have always been the ones who keep our economy running. This May Day working people and their unions are speaking out and fighting back! Working people are saying “enough” to our rigged economy, and are ready to fight to protect all workers from attacks on our jobs, our unions, and our freedoms.

The Thurston – Lewis – Mason Central Labor Council encourages every working person to come together at Sylvester Park on May 1st to hear speakers, enjoy music by Sunflower Season, and send a message that the working class in our community knows our solidarity is our strength, and we are united to fight for a better future for all workers.”

More information available on the Thurston-Lewis-Mason CLC website or contact TLM CLC President Rachelle Martin at president@tlmlabor.org / (360) 261-2090.

Is your union or central labor council planning a May Day event you’d like to share with The STAND’s readers? Contact Editor Sarah Tucker at stucker@wslc.org.