LYNN — On Wednesday, the New Lynn Coalition, in collaboration with other community and labor organizations in the city, will gather for the 18th annual Lynn May Day Rally to commemorate International Workers’ Day.
The rally will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m., with attendees gathering at City Hall before proceeding to the South Common bandstand.
“Participants will engage in a symbolic march, underscoring the enduring spirit of collective action,” a press release from the New Lynn Coalition reads.
At the bandstand, rally-goers will hear speakers representing different committees, organizations, and unions discuss “critical discourse” on labor rights, food insecurity, education, housing affordability, health-care access, immigration justice, environmental sustainability, racial equity, and the promotion of interfaith harmony and peace.
The press release stated that May Day’s roots can be traced back to the Haymarket strike of 1886 in Chicago, which “serves as an enduring symbol of resilience against oppression.”
It added that the movement was born from workers’ demands for an equitable eight-hour workday.
“Lynn, with its rich history of social activism, stands as a beacon of solidarity, forging alliances with immigrant groups during the pivotal Day Without Immigrants strike in 2006, which birthed the Lynn May Day Committee,” the press release reads.
The 2024 Lynn May Day is being organized by New Lynn Coalition, American Refugee Council, Community Together, Diverse People United, Highlands Coalition, IUE-CWA Local 201, Jewish Labor Committee, Latina Center MARIA, Lynn Health Task Force, Lynn Latino Leadership Coalition, Lynn United for Change, Lynn Worker Center, Massachusetts Senior Action Council, Neighbor to Neighbor, North Shore Juneteenth Association, North Shore Labor Council (NSLC), Prevent the Cycle, SEIU Local 509, United Nations CDC, and 1199 SEIU.
