Nationwide May Day Strike Aims to 'Shut It Down' in Defiance of Trump’s Authoritarianism

As the midterm elections loom, a powerful coalition of unions, immigrant rights groups, and progressive organizations is mobilizing for a nationwide May Day strike designed to "shut it down" and confront the Trump administration’s authoritarian overreach head-on. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, home to over 800,000 workers many of whom are immigrants, is at the forefront of the effort, organizing a march under the banner “Workers Over Billionaires” that will start in MacArthur Park—a neighborhood still reeling from a brutal federal raid last summer.

Cliff Smith, business manager of Roofers Union Local 36 in L.A., did not mince words calling Trump a “fascist in the White House” and emphasizing the strike’s role in warning business leaders that backing any attempt to steal the elections will be met with nationwide resistance. The coalition behind the strike includes over 500 labor, community, and pro-democracy groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America, immigrant rights advocates, and climate activists. They plan to disrupt business as usual with calls for “No Work, No School, No Shopping” on May 1.

This is not just symbolic. The 2006 “Day Without an Immigrant” in Los Angeles helped defeat a harsh anti-immigrant bill and showed the power of coordinated labor and immigrant activism. Today, with only 12% of the U.S. workforce unionized, organizers stress the importance of broad alliances across racial justice and community groups to build a movement capable of challenging Trump’s attacks on voting rights, ICE raids, and authoritarian tactics.

Minneapolis’ massive resistance to ICE raids earlier this year, including tens of thousands marching in freezing temperatures and major institutions shutting down, serves as a blueprint and inspiration. A recent survey found that nearly a quarter of Minnesota voters or their loved ones participated in that strike, underscoring the potential scale of worker-led defiance.

Across the country, major unions are endorsing the May Day actions. In North Carolina, educators are planning mass walkouts and multiple school districts have announced closures. New Jersey unions representing over a million workers are rallying their members to join protests, even if legal constraints prevent them from officially calling it a strike.

Organizers acknowledge the challenges of mobilizing under restrictive labor contracts but encourage workers to use sick days or personal time to participate. Labor experts highlight the critical role of non-union workers in expanding the movement’s reach.

This May Day strike is more than a labor protest. It is a bold, coordinated stand against the Trump administration’s corrosive attacks on democracy, immigrant rights, and worker power. As the nation braces for a pivotal election, the message from workers and activists is clear: if Trump tries to steal the vote or escalate repression, they will meet him with a shutdown of unprecedented scale.