Thousands in US to join ‘no school, no work, no shopping’ May Day protest in economic blackout

Key Points:

• Thousands are expected to participate in an economic blackout on International Workers’ Day, with 3,500 “May Day Strong” events nationwide calling for “no school, no work, no shopping” through walkouts, marches, and gatherings.
• The May Day Strong coalition, including labor unions, immigrant rights groups, and political organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America, demands policies such as no ICE, no war, and taxing the rich, aiming to prioritize workers over billionaires.
• Teachers’ unions and students are actively involved, with at least 15 North Carolina school districts giving teachers the day off for rallies, and the Chicago Teachers Union securing May Day as a “day of civic action” focused on public education funding and institutional crises.
• Organizers view the economic blackout as a “structure test” to build momentum for greater non-cooperation and collective power, with efforts aimed at eventually achieving a general strike, a tactic largely restricted since the 1946 Taft-Hartley Act.
• The United Auto Workers president has proposed a strategic plan for a general strike on May 1, 2028, by coordinating the expiration of union contracts, signaling a long-term goal of intensified labor action.