For those interested in May Day, The Defend and Respect Hawai'i's Workers (DRHW) Coalition is hosting an event in Honolulu at the Capitol. Please share info if anyone hears of more local events being planned.
https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/event/777779/
May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a global holiday honoring workers and the labor movement. It began in 1890 to commemorate the struggle for the 8-hour workday, rooted in the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago—where police attacked striking workers, and labor leaders were unjustly executed. May Day became a symbol of resistance and worker solidarity worldwide.
In the U.S., Labor Day was moved to September and May 1 rebranded as Lei Day in Hawaiʻi and Law Day on the continent—efforts to erase its radical roots. But here in Hawaiʻi, the history of labor resistance runs deep. After the illegal overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, plantation owners imposed brutal working conditions—12-hour days, 6-day weeks, poverty wages, and punishment for leaving the job.
That legacy continues today. Over 170,000 workers in Hawaiʻi have no paid sick leave. Tipped workers are still paid below minimum wage. This year, nearly every progressive labor bill was killed by the legislature. And nationally, the federal government has escalated attacks on unions and workers’ rights.
The Defend and Respect Hawai'i's Workers (DRHW) Coalition is a 48 member coalition led by the Hawaiʻi Workers Center (HWC), consisting of labor unions, youth groups, community organizations, and faith-based initiatives, committed to advancing workers' rights in Hawaiʻi. On May 1, 2025, we’re gathering at the Capitol to say enough. We stand in solidarity with workers—past and present—who have fought for dignity, justice, and a better future. Join us.
https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/event/777779/
May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a global holiday honoring workers and the labor movement. It began in 1890 to commemorate the struggle for the 8-hour workday, rooted in the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago—where police attacked striking workers, and labor leaders were unjustly executed. May Day became a symbol of resistance and worker solidarity worldwide.
In the U.S., Labor Day was moved to September and May 1 rebranded as Lei Day in Hawaiʻi and Law Day on the continent—efforts to erase its radical roots. But here in Hawaiʻi, the history of labor resistance runs deep. After the illegal overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, plantation owners imposed brutal working conditions—12-hour days, 6-day weeks, poverty wages, and punishment for leaving the job.
That legacy continues today. Over 170,000 workers in Hawaiʻi have no paid sick leave. Tipped workers are still paid below minimum wage. This year, nearly every progressive labor bill was killed by the legislature. And nationally, the federal government has escalated attacks on unions and workers’ rights.
The Defend and Respect Hawai'i's Workers (DRHW) Coalition is a 48 member coalition led by the Hawaiʻi Workers Center (HWC), consisting of labor unions, youth groups, community organizations, and faith-based initiatives, committed to advancing workers' rights in Hawaiʻi. On May 1, 2025, we’re gathering at the Capitol to say enough. We stand in solidarity with workers—past and present—who have fought for dignity, justice, and a better future. Join us.