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May 1st, or May Day, is international workers’ day, and has been celebrated as such since 1889. In recent years, say the last 50, workers have fared much worse than bosses, and as one moves up the chain of bosses, to the Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos level, the contrasts become stark. For example, right now, the top 1% wealthiest households own 31.7% of the total wealth of the United States. That’s as much wealth as the bottom 90% combined.
Mayday has also, since the 1920s, been the international distress call, used by planes about to crash, and ships about to sink. The mayday distress call actually comes from the French “m’aider” or help me, but this is an interesting coincidence.
Workers in the U.S., and the world, do indeed need help. The playing field has been tilting more and more in favor of the billionaires and broligarchs.
This May 1, there will be demonstrations across the country and the entire world, including in Presque Isle and Houlton, with the theme of “Workers over Billionaires.” It’s time to stand up for workers: they are us! If there are any billionaires in Aroostook County I’m not aware of them.
Small business owners are workers too, and the May Day movement encourages businesses to close in support of the goal for the day: no work, no school, no shopping. Vote no to the status quo with your pocketbook and your feet.
The demonstration in Presque Isle is scheduled for May 1 from noon to 1 p.m. across from the Walmart entrance on Route 1. We’d be happy to have you join us.
Steve DeMaio
Easton
