Image Source: metrotimes.com |
Felicidades
trabajador! For many around the world,
May 1st marks International
Worker’s Day or May Day. In the Americas, the day is known as El Dia Del Trabajador or El Dia Del Trabajo. Most countries, from Argentina to Venezuela
to everything in between, observe the day as a way to commend the struggles of
working people worldwide.
While
laborers around the world take the day off on May Day, in the United States,
May 1st is just another regular work day. The US, is one of the very few countries
that does not recognize International
Worker’s Day on May 1st, which is quite ironic, because the
roots of the holiday start here.
On May 1st, 1886, thousands of workers nationwide took to the streets to
rally for shorter work days. You think
you work long hours now? Think
again. In the nineteenth century, it was
expected for employees to work anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day in
unsanitary, unregulated and just outright dangerous conditions. Adopting British social reformer, Robert Owen’s, slogan “Eight hours’ labour, Eight hours’ recreation, Eight hours’
rest”, the workers boldly demanded an eight-hour work day.
A few
days later, on May 4th, a riot broke out at a rally organized by the
anarchist political organization “International Working People’s Association”
(IWPA) in Haymarket Square in Chicago.
In what started off as a peaceful protest, a bomb went off and police
opened fire. Even though there was no
evidence to prove their culpability, eight men were charged with murder, four
of them subsequently hanged.
In
1889, the International Socialist Conference acknowledged May 1st as
an international holiday in order to promote worker solidarity and in
remembrance of the events of the Haymarket affair. In an attempt to distance itself from
socialism and anarchy, the U.S chose not to adapt the holiday, instead opting
to celebrate Labor Day in September.
Go to
any Latino country, however, and “May Day” is in full effect.
In
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Uruguay and
Venezuela, the day is a national holiday and it is known as El Dia Del Trabajador. In Chile,
Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru the day
is also a public holiday, and it is known as El Dia Del Trabajo. Regardless
of what is called, however, the holiday has been recognized all throughout
Latin America and the Caribbean for over a century.
In,
Argentina, for example, workers have been celebrating since 1890. The holiday specially gained momentum in the
late 1940’s under the presidency of Juan Domingo Peron, who as a big proponent
of the working class endorsed celebrations of the holiday throughout the country. Bolivians have been celebrating since 1906
and in Chile, then President Carlos Ibanez Del Campo made it an official
holiday in 1931.
In
Costa Rica, celebrations commenced in 1913, however the 8 hour work day was not
passed to law until 1920. In Cuba, El Dia del Trabajo was celebrated for
the first time in 1890, and ever since then, it has been a huge event
characterized by big marches throughout the country.
In
Mexico, Worker’s Day has been celebrated since 1913. The date is also used to remember la Huelga
de Cananea (Cananea strike) of Sonora in 1906.
In 1906, workers at the Cananea Consolidated Copper Company in Sonora,
Mexico tired of earning 3.5 pesos a day, while their American counterparts
earned 5 pesos a day for the same job, went on strike. The protest quickly became violent, and
although the company rejected the demands of the workers, the event remains a
key fixture of Mexican History, recognized by many as a precursor to the
Mexican Revolution of 1910.
In
Uruguay, the holiday has been celebrated since 1890 and since 1997, laborers
have made it a tradition to gather at the main plaza in Montevideo. Venezuelans began celebrating in 1936. Between 1938 and 1945, the country celebrated
on July 24th, however in 1945, under the presidency of Isaías Medina
Angarita, the date was changed back to May 1st.
Like
many other Latino holidays, the day also has religious undertones. For many in the catholic religion, May 1st
also marks the Feast of St. Joseph the worker , or San José el Obrero. As per the scripture, Joseph was not wealthy
and worked as a carpenter. Many in the
faith look to him as the patron saint of the working class.
Today,
people all over the world use the first of May to honor the working class and
their contribution to society. Keeping true to its roots, however the day is
also utilized to bring attention to the worker rights issues and concerns
currently plaguing modern day workers.
In 2006, for example, Latino immigrants in the US took to the streets to
march for immigration rights. The rally
was nicknamed “A day without Immigrants” and
many were encouraged to leave their jobs for a day in order to draw attention
to their significant, and often undermined, contributions to the American
workforce.
Originally published in LatinTrends Magazine, May 2016
Originally published in LatinTrends Magazine, May 2016