As one of the most celebrated dates for the Labor Movement since 1889, May Day or International Workers’ Day, commemorates Labor’s most significant achievements such as the eight-hour day and child labor laws and pays homage to its many heroes while remembering workers’ sacrifices such as The Haymarket Affair, The Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike among many others.
The Minnesota Nurses Association recognizes and honors May Day as one of the most sacred and relevant holidays for the Labor Movement and all trade unionists throughout the world. We recognize the importance of joining and supporting our union family especially now following a term, during which workers’ rights, benefits, and working conditions have been under threat by corporate overreach and anti-union political agendas.
After taking into consideration the prospect of a possible fourth COVID-19 surge in the Midwest region, as well as current Center for Disease Control recommendations for continuous social distancing and isolation in order to allow for pandemic control, it is with great angst that the Minnesota Nurses Association must decline to officially participate in the upcoming May Day rally and march.
Nurses, as trustees of the public trust for advocacy and guidance in healthcare, must set the example for our patients, families, and the communities that we serve. We must exemplify the best public healthcare practices that we ask others to follow to eliminate this threat that has resulted in so much sacrifice for all frontline workers.
Nevertheless, we voice our strong support and solidarity for all workers, their voice is our voice, we stand as one.
E Pluribus Unum
Minnesota Nurses Association