LYNN — The New Lynn Coalition and the North Shore Labor Council, along with local community organizations and labor allies, will hold the 20th Annual Lynn May Day Rally and March on Friday, May 1, at 5:30 p.m., in observance of International Workers’ Day.

The program begins with a rally on the steps of Lynn City Hall, followed by a circular march along Market Street, Liberty Street, Washington Street, and Essex Street, returning to City Hall steps for a closing gathering.

Organizers say the march is intended to bring workers, immigrants, and families into the public square together to highlight ongoing struggles around wages, housing, immigration policy, and peace.

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, has its roots in the 1886 Haymarket movement in Chicago, when workers organized for the eight-hour workday. In Lynn, the tradition dates back to 2006 with the “Day Without Immigrants” action, which helped launch a sustained local movement for worker and immigrant rights.

Tanveer Malik, Executive director of the New Lynn Coalition, said, “On this May Day workers, immigrants, and families stand together in unity to demand fair housing, an end to mass deportations, and war, and to build and empower working-class communities across our neighborhoods, where no one is judged or pushed aside because of religion, race, or color, and where everyone can live with safety, stability, and dignity.”

Adam “Kaz” Kaszynski, president of the North Shore Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said, “May Day continues our long tradition of celebrating the history of the labor movement while still working to build power locally. We believe that the labor movement is strongest when firmly rooted in our communities and the struggles we all face. That’s why International Workers Day isn’t just about celebrating the history of the labor movement; it’s about continuing to fight for justice for all oppressed people. We’re proud to stand with local communities fighting for housing justice, an end to the mass deportations, and an end to the endless wars that leave us all worse off. This May Day, we’re fighting for the rights of all working people”. 

This year’s May Day demands include:

• A Fighting Labor Movement
• End Mass Deportations
• Stop the Endless Wars
• Housing Justice – Rent Control Now

The event is open to the public. Community members are encouraged to attend, bring signs and banners, and stand in solidarity with workers, immigrants, and families across Lynn.