Story by Mike Lee

Photos by Mike Lee & Acacia Rodriguez

On May 1, in one of the largest local May Day demonstrations in decades, DC 37 members and other member unions of the NYC Central Labor Council rallied with thousands of activists at Washington Square Park before marching through the village to Foley Square.

May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is a worldwide tradition to celebrate and honor the contributions of workers and to commemorate their sacrifices in building a better, more equitable world.

“It’s the day that we all could celebrate working, the working class, and to come together as ‘we,’” said Keeshone McLaurin, a Local 768 member and Public Health Advisor at the Department of Health.

This article originally appeared in the April-June 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.