Co-ops around the world are marking their links to the labour movement this May, as part of International Workers Day tomorrow (1 May).
Also known as May Day, the annual event honours the fight for workers’ rights, rooted in the 1886 Haymarket uprising in Chicago.
On 1 May, 1886, labour unions in the United States led a general strike for the eight-hour workday, demanding “eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.” This resulted in eight Chicago workers being charged with conspiracy, and seven executed, despite no evidence to prove they had committed the act.
Since then, workers around the world rally every May Day to celebrate and demonstrate for the protection and promotion of workers’ rights and decent jobs.
Related: Worker co-ops rising in the USA
US worker co-ops have this year joined the May Day Strong coalition, which is making three key demands this May Day: taxes on the rich, an end to the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), and free and fair elections.
The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) said it is “proud to stand in solidarity with these demands and the organisations leading this work in our communities”, and calls on the co-operative sector to join the May Day Strong mobilisations on Friday 1 May.
USFWC also suggested a list of different ways co-op cans take action this May Day, including:
- Shutting down for the day and attending a local May Day rally, to show solidarity with workers around the world
- Coordinating mutual aid (e.g. food, transport, care) for those mobilising
- Donating business surplus toward immigrant justice and anti-war organisations, particularly if closing for the day would present a hardship
- Hosting an event for art-making, political education, and fun that brings workers together
- Speaking out in solidarity with workers across the world fighting back against authoritarianism.
Beyond May Day, USFWC is working to bring the co-operative community further into the labour movement. It is currently calling on co-ops to publicly pledge their commitment to “labour neutrality,” which means committing to taking no position for or against their workers organising, and voluntarily recognising labour unions without requiring an election facilitated by a third party.
Related: Minnesota worker co-ops share their responses to ICE clampdown
UCFWC member Coop Cincy announced it would be closing its offices in observance of May Day.
“We believe honouring this day is consistent with who we are — an organisation built on the conviction that workers deserve real ownership and power in their economic lives,” it said.
“We encourage our community to use 1 May as a moment of reflection and celebration: learn about the history of the labor movement, connect with local worker-owned businesses, and think about how each of us can contribute to a more just and democratic economy. May Day isn’t just a day off — it’s a reminder of what we’re building together.”
In Europe, the confederation of industrial and service co-operatives (Cecop) is taking May Day as an opportunity to highlight the role of co-ops in building quality jobs that ensure: fair wages and working conditions; long-term job security; inclusion of women and marginalised groups; investment in skills and lifelong learning; and human-centred management.
“Across Europe, over 43,000 co-operatives employ 1.3 million people, proving that a people-centred economy is both viable and scalable. As the EU advances its Quality Jobs agenda, we call on policymakers to fully acknowledge this model through stronger support, recognising co-operatives as key contributors to quality employment.”
For workers.coop and its sister organisation Solidfund in the UK, 1 May is a time to remember and celebrate their links with the global trade union movement, in particular the US general strike of 1886 for the eight hour day.
Related: Where does the working class fit into the modern UK co-op movement?
“Internationalism is at the heart of workers.coop’s organising approach,” it says. “We have members in other countries, and stay active in the European and global worker/social co-op federations Cecop and Cicopa. A number of our member co-ops are transnational, and at the grass roots level Solidfund – our mutual fund for worker co-op solidarity, education and organising – has supported worker co-op initiatives from Poland, Argentina, the US, Italy and Palestine.”
Workers.coop sees worker-controlled enterprise and workers’ unions as the two main organising expressions of worker co-operation.
“Developing dialogue, collaboration and coalition with unionised workers is a strategic priority for our federation, through networks like union-coops:UK, our members’ involvement with base unions like the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain and Nanny Solidarity Network, and union-based campaigns like the Greener Jobs Alliance.”
Union:coops UK is a campaigning organisation made up of representatives from the worker co-operative and trade union movement. It aims to create decent work through the creation of fully unionised worker co-ops, and supports the UK trade union movement’s various organised May Day events each year.
“As worker co-operators, we share the goal of the trade union movement to create decent work for all, with fair remuneration and good, safe working conditions”, says Union:coops UK.
“We strive to take ownership, power and wealth back from the capitalist elite, and distribute it fairly and equally amongst everyone, and to that end we stand with our fellow activists in the trade union movement.”
