Call For May Day 2010 Unity Coalition

May 1 Coalition For Worker & Immigrant Rights

Cards in English and Spanish

May Day 2010 is rapidly approaching.

This year’s May Day is more important than ever as the economic and financial crisis continues to strike a heavy blow on workers from the U.S. and around the world. A recovery with no jobs is a recovery solely for the multinational corporations, who are raking in record profits as the people face increasing poverty, joblessness, homelessness, disease and death.

The escalation of war abroad in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the racist, ruthless military occupation of Haiti demand our response.

A powerful and massive united fight-back against this onslaught is urgently needed.

May Day 2010 provides us with that opportunity.

In 2006, immigrant workers rose up in record numbers shutting down their workplaces in response to a malicious attack emanating from the White House. The Sensenbrenner bill attempted to unjustly criminalize workers, especially those without documents. The massive outpouring in the spring of 2006 defeated that bill. The attacks nevertheless continue to this day, including Gestapo-like raids, separation of families, and cruel illegal detentions.

Another significant development that grew out of the 2006 massive national outpouring was the militant revival of May Day in this country. Despite the fact that May Day was born in the U.S., the independent spirit of the working class fighting for its rights in its own name for its own interests has been discouraged and substituted for the misguided belief that our goals and agenda are the same as our bosses and their political parties.

The militant stand of immigrant workers and their joining together with U.S. born workers revived May Day and its true working class fighting spirit. This spirit was reflected not only here, but in 2006 May Day actions took place around the country and worldwide.

We must continue to demonstrate the power of a movement based on the unwavering commitment to strengthen the required solidarity and unity. May Day 2010 must be the clarion call to all those who would dare to build the kind of movement capable of stopping ALL the attacks on workers and our communities. May Day 2010 must support all members of the class who are taking bold organized stands against these attacks.

Our working class youth must be supported in their rapidly developing mobilizations against school closures, the elimination of the MTA cards, tuition increases, police brutality and harassment. The issues of our children and young adults are part and parcel to the overall attacks against working families and their communities.

This year May Day must represent the solidarity and resistance of all working communities who are taking courageous stands against the massive layoffs, loss of homes, health insurance, and the deepening erosion of our rights to organize and bargain collectively for livable wages and just work conditions. This year May Day must once again demand legalization for all workers and declare that we will not allow our origin of birth to divide us from another.

This 2010 May Day must bring together all workers regardless of national origin, language, religion or race. We create the wealth and we must show the world that workers day, May Day, will be honored here in the U.S. as a day of workers’ standing up for justice & resistance.

Since 2005, Million Worker March Movement, union activists, unorganized workers, the unemployed and immigrant community organizations, committed to the independence and militant organization of workers, reaffirmed the tradition of organizing a May Day Rally & March in Union Square. 2006 gave birth to the May 1st Coalition for Workers & Immigrant rights and millions marched from Union Square to Foley Square.

Call for a May Day 2010 coalition.

The following signers invite everyone from the labor, immigrant, anti-war, student, youth, community & progressive movements, to claim your day and join us at a May Day 2010 Unity Meeting.

This meeting will take place on Thursday, February 18 at 6:30p.m. at the Union Hall of Transit Workers Union Local 100, 80 West End Ave. & 64th St. in Manhattan.

Please contact us at MayDay2010@peoplesmail.net to sign on to the call and to indicate your presence on the 18th of February.

Signers,

* Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle
* Amer.-Iranian Friendship Comm.
* Anakbayan NY/NJ
* Artists & Activists United for Peace: U-Savior Washington, Nana Soul, Shawna Glover
* Asia Pacific Action
* Bail Out the People Movement
* BAYAN USA
* Brenda Stokely, Million Worker March Movement*
* Brian Barraza, Mexicano activista
* Bryan G. Pfeifer, Staff Org. Union of Part-Time Faculty-AFT, Wayne State Detroit*
* Carlos Canales, L.I. Workplace Project, May 1st Co-Coordinator
* Casa Freehold
* Charles Barron, City Council Member
* Charles Jenkins, TWU, Local 100*, May 1st Co-Coordinator
* Chris Silvera, Secty. Treasurer Teamsters Local 808
* Comrade Shahid, Pakistan USA Freedom Forum, May 1st Co-Coordinator
* Diana Crowder, Trabaj. Por La Paz
* Ernesto Nevarez, Port of Aztlan, Labor Organizer
* Fallou Gueye, Union of African Workers/Senegal*, May 1 Co-Coordr
* Filipinas 4 Rights & Empowrment (FiRE)
* Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice – Canada
* FIST (Fight Imperialism Stand Together youth org)
* Freedom Socialist Party
* Gabriela-USA
* George Guenthel, Working Peoples News
* Gustavo Mejias, MWM
* Guyanese American Workers United
* Heather Cottin, Member Prof. Staff Assoc., LaGuardia College Prof.
* Hector Castillo, Bronx Community May 1st Co-Coordinator
* IFCO/Pastors for Peace
* International Action Center
* Israel Galindo, member Iglesia San Romero de Las Americas
* Johnnie Stevens, Katrina Rita Awareness Walk
* Jornaleros Unidos
* Julie Fry, VP, UAW Local 2325
* Kevin Keating
* Kinding Sindaw
* La Peña del Bronx
* Larry Hamm, Chairperson, Peoples Organization for Progress, NJ
* Larry Holmes, National BOPM Organizer
* Larry Malu
* Lucy Pagaoda, Honduras USA Resistencia
* Manhattan Local Green Party, NYC
* Marina Diaz, Centro Guatemalteco Tecun Uman
* Michael Letwin, Co-Convener, New York City Labor Against the War; Labor for Palestine
* Mike Gimbel, Local 375 AFSCME Chair of Labor/Community Unity Committee, May 1st Co-Coordinator
* Million Worker March Movement
* Millions 4 Mumia
* Minnie-Bruce Pratt, Natl Writers Union
* MIUCA ACCION POR EL CAMBIO
* Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), Canada
* Monica Moorehead, Workers World Party
* NAFCON (National Alliance for Filipino Concerns)
* Nieves Ayres, Trabaj.s Por La Paz
* NYCHRP (NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines)
* Nodutdol for Korean Community Development
* Orlando Sepulveda, Internatl Socialist Organization
* Peoples Organization for Progress, NJ
* Philippine Forum
* Prosecute Them Now
* Queer People Of Color Action
* Rebel Diaz Arts Collective
* Rev. Lucius Walker, Exec. Director, IFCO/Pastors for Peace
* Rev. Luis Barrios, Chair Dept. of Latin American & Latino/a Studies, John Jay College, SOAW activist
* Sharon Black, Union Coor., BOPM, AFT Local 2
* Shelley Ettinger, AFT Local 3882
* Stuart Hutchison
* Teresa Gutierrez, May 1st Coalition Co-Coordinator, Depty Secty Gen IMA (International Migrant Alliance)
* Tony Murphy, cartoonist
* Tsehai Hiwot
* Víctor Toro, fighting for political asylum
* Women’s Fightback Network