The United Auto Workers (UAW) is making a bold move that could reshape the American labor movement. UAW President, Shawn Fain, is urging unions across the country to synchronize contract expirations for a potential nationwide strike on May Day, 2028.
This strategic move comes after the UAW’s successful six-week strike against the “Big Three” automakers (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis) last fall. The grueling strike secured significant gains for UAW members, including record contracts and the reopening of a shuttered assembly plant.
However, the UAW’s sights are now set beyond their own industry. President Fain emphasizes a more ambitious goal: “to reshape the economy into one that works for the benefit of everyone.” He believes a coordinated national strike on May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, will be a powerful symbol of worker solidarity.
May Day has a rich history in the labor movement. It commemorates the Haymarket Affair of 1886 in Chicago, where workers demanding an 8-hour workday clashed with police. The event became a rallying cry for workers’ rights worldwide, but May Day is not an official holiday in the United States.
President Fain sees this as a deliberate effort by the wealthy to erase labor history. He argues that a unified May Day strike can serve as a powerful reminder of the working class struggle and its importance in the American story.
The UAW’s call to action is a significant development for American labor. If successful, a coordinated national strike on May Day 2028 could mark a turning point for worker rights and economic justice in the United States.
