Much has changed since the first May Day, but building worker power and combating racism and xenophobia remain just as important

May 1st is International Workers’ Day, a day workers around the world mark as Labor Day with marches, demonstrations, and renewed calls for workers’ rights. “May Day” got its start in 1886, when U.S. workers rallied in support of ongoing campaigns for an eight-hour day, setting May 1st as a deadline to begin mass strikes if employers failed to adopt shorter hours.