Friday, May 1st, celebrate May Day over WBAI from 2-6 pm, where we’ll Build Bridges between the workers of the world.

We’ll hear from the fight for $15 and a union, a social movement sweeping the country; we’ll learn from the militant, insurgent labor activists in South Africa; and we can attend protests in support of the workers of Bangladesh. Put on your comfortable shoes because we’ve got miles to cover, from May Day events at Union Square and Walmart-owner Alice Walton’s New York townhouse, to Charleston South Carolina and San Francisco with Black Life Matters, rallying for racial and economic justice. 

Let's look back. For workers, the Recession brought only economic hardship. But for corporate America, it meant the opportunity to mold the economy into an approximation of the Third World model: vast wealth, power and privilege for those at the top; chronically high unemployment, falling wages, and inadequate or nonexistent social services for the rest. The new normal for America is a sweatshop nation.

But there has been increasing protest, particularly by low-wage and immigrant workers in the restaurant and fast food sector, and in retail – including movements against Wal-Mart and grocery stores. Industries like nail salons, car washes, and laundries have also seen activity. There have been strikes in these areas of work across the country, coupled with a growing chorus for unionization and contracts. Protestors aim to stop wage theft and harassment, to increase the minimum wage, to enforce labor laws, and to extend new benefits – such as paid sick leave and vacation time – to low-wage workers.

These actions are new models of organizing. They emanate from the community but are increasingly supported by traditional labor unions, from the local level to the national AFL-CIO. There has also been new support from government, from Seattle to New York City, and industry workers are beginning to incorporate human rights demands into their model of organizing to target racial discrimination, ethnocentricity, and anti-immigrant biases.

So as workers of the world unite, we’ll be there to broadcast this May Day. Building Bridges will bring our audience analysis of the current crisis and future trends, along with the voices raised for immigration reform and economic equality. We’ll provide a comprehensive picture of the issues and activities around the working class.

As always, our program will be a tapestry threaded with the culture of the working class: spoken word, music, and dramatic renditions showcasing the blood, sweat, tears, and triumphs of working men and women. Workers of the world unite! May 1st, May Day, 2-6 pm, with Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash. We Build Bridges over WBAI 99.5 FM.

This is a time of increasing economic peril, but there is a promise of resistance. “They say get back, and we say fight back!”