May Day is all about those who build the world: the working class.
Unlike the first Monday of September, which the U.S. federal government sterilely anoints as Labor Day, May Day is a planetary celebration. Workers everywhere turn out, making 5/1 a demonstration of solidarity's promise. The typical divisions of language, culture, and so on — so often unbreakable barriers to political discussion and action — are, for a day, bypassed.
It's the promise of solidarity that makes Current excited about International Workers' Day in 2026. Our optimism might sound weird. Some will get bummed thinking about past May Days that had more promise — May Days with stronger unions or with emerging revolutionary movements. But why get nostalgic for the past when we know how it all worked out? All it really means is that the fight is still on.
11:00a @ SFO, International Terminal Help striking SEIU United Service Workers West shut down the SFO airport. SEIU workers are done with SFO management collaborating with ICE and denying the workers the contract that they deserve. Let's get ICE out of the BAY.
9:30a @ 99 Hegenberger Rd, Oakland The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 6 does not work on May 1st, and neither should you. Instead, roll up to their Union Hall and cruise with organizers via car caravan to Oakland Airport. Drop by the union hall first for coffee.
12:00p rally @ Oscar Grant Plaza (aka Frank Ogawa Plaza) Teachers' strikes have been a fixture in the Bay's class struggle. Now you can link up with the teachers to fight against budget cuts to public education. Drop by early for a discussion about how the Bay's educators can get better organized at 11:00a.
10:00a - 3:00p @ Understory (3340 International, Oakland) Fuel up before your rally/march/etc. at Understory, a worker-owned restaurant in East Oakland. It's a great place to meet up for cheap eats with your crew before the Oakland march.
3:00 - 7:00p @ Fruitvale BART (Use ears to find the demo.) What's May Day without a large gathering of the working class in the heart of the labor engine of the East Bay? Grab your pals and head out to Fruitvale BART for a classic demo. (Also, look out for OUSD students who are walking out in Fruitvale at noon!)
7:00 - 9:00p @ 1544 Broadway, Oakland Can't have all action without thought! Come through to Seeing Red, the Bay's 'communist salon' affiliated with EBDSA's political education committee, for a smart discussion with authors Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff about their new book on Elon Musk. Get talking points to use against tech industry optimists and find out what a 'pyrotechnic examination' really means.
8:00 - 10:00p @ La Peña (3105 Shattuck, Berkeley) Someone got the great idea of throwing a May Day party featuring lefty musicians Bambu, ANtiFaSon, The Sampaguitas, and Otayo Dubb. We think the organizers buried the lede, though, since the party will feature some very special guests: Boots Riley, Walter Riley, and Bahaar Tadjbakhsh, among others. Rub shoulders with some lefty legends.
9:00p - late @ Tamarack (1501 Harrison, Oakland) Not to be outdone, Seeing Red is making sure we have a nice time. They're throwing a party. Apparently, there be free cigarettes and cheap drinks. "Many mysteries abound and surprises await," they promise. So come by and party with the Reds.
Get our FREE Newsletters
Bay Area Current covers the news unabashedly from the left and highlights working-class issues too often ignored by the media.
