International Workers Day and LMDC’s Rally and March

(Edited: by Universereal Reporter Derek Dai, on 2026-May-2, latest updated 2026-May-2)

The origin of Labor Day and its various commemorations:

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In 1840, a New Zealand carpenter named Samuel Parnell refused to work more than eight hours a day. He told his boss, “I will work very well, but only on the condition that I do not work more than eight hours a day. We have 24 hours a day; eight hours should be used for work, eight hours for sleep, and the remaining eight hours should be used for leisure or doing what they want for themselves.” He encouraged the other workers to also work only eight hours a day, and the workers held a meeting in October 1840 to formally decide to support this idea.

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On April 21, 1856, a labor movement advocating for an eight-hour workday took place in Melbourne, Australia. Stonemasons and construction workers went on strike at construction sites in Melbourne, marching from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House, calling for the implementation of an eight-hour workday. Their direct petition was successful and is considered the world’s first organized labor movement for an eight-hour workday without any wage loss.

Prior to 1872, the Canadian Workers’ Union had threatened to strike if its demands for reduced working hours were consistently ignored. Finally, on March 25, 1872, all the printing workers went on strike in protest; on April 25, 2,000 workers marched through the streets of Toronto. By the time the procession reached Queen’s Park, nearly 10,000 people had gathered.

Then-Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald had been closely following the “Nine-Hour Movement” and keenly recognized the necessity of reform. Subsequently, Prime Minister Macdonald assured the clamoring crowd in front of Ottawa City Hall that he would amend the “cruel and inhumane” labor laws. He personally went to jail to retrieve the 24 strikers. On June 14th, Parliament passed the new bill, officially legalizing the strike and demonstration.

To celebrate the success of the strike, the workers’ union holds an event in Toronto every year. In 1882, American Labour Party leader McGill also witnessed this moment. Inspired by it, he organized a Labor Day event on September 4th after returning to New York.

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On September 4, 1882, Peter McGill, a labor leader in New York City, suggested that all labor unions in New York hold a grand parade on that day to raise workers’ demands with capitalists and to demonstrate the power and solidarity of the workers to the citizens of New York. Since then, New York City’s labor organizations have held a celebratory parade every year in early September, and labor organizations in other cities have followed suit. To this day, the American Labor Day celebration continues to use this parade format.

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The Haymarket Massacre was a large-scale labor movement that occurred in the United States in 1886, following the bombing of Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4th in response to a labor demonstration. It was originally a peaceful march in support of the eight-hour workday strike and in response to the police killing of several workers the previous day. In July 1889, the Second International (an international organization of the workers’ movement), led by Engels, held a congress in Paris. The congress passed a resolution stipulating that international workers would hold a march on May 1st, 1890, to commemorate the period surrounding the May Day strike in the United States, and decided to designate May 1st as International Workers’ Day.

Then-President Cleveland did not want Labor Day to be used to commemorate events that were “shameful” to the government, so he set Labor Day as the first Monday in September each year.

In 1892, the U.S. Congress passed legislation officially designating this day as a public holiday. Following the U.S. setting Labor Day as the first Monday in September in 1892, Canada also adopted this designation in 1894.

In 1899, the New Zealand government legalized the day workers met in October 1840 as a public holiday. Since 1900, the fourth Monday of October has been a public holiday. On October 28, 1890, people marched to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the eight-hour workday, and celebrations have been held every year at the end of October since then.

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Who is LMDC (Labour May Day Committee)?

The Labour May Day Committee is an alliance of unions and leftist organizations of working-class and oppressed people. They organize the political rally for May 1st International Workers’ Day in Toronto.

(https://www.facebook.com/LabourMayDayCommittee/)

(https://x.com/may1labour)

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LMDC’s annual rally and march:

2020: The Labour May Day Committee is organizing the political rally for International Workers Day in Toronto 5:00 p.m. Friday May 1 at Larry Sefton Park (500 Bay Street, south of Dundas). Following speeches, we will be marching to the Steelworkers Hall. Finally, the Labour May Day rally 2020 is for a stay-home #strike to demand full compensation for all affected by the crisis. Unions and allies for an online May Day rally on facebook livestream and zoom! May 1, 2020 from 5pm to 7pm ET #MayDay #canlab Event information: https://facebook.com/events/198691281310854/.

Local 4400 is the first union to support the LMDC when formed in 2020.

2021: The livestream has started! https://facebook.com/LabourMayDayCommittee/videos/275724624246520/

2022: The Labour May Day Committee is pleased to announce that the rally for May Day 2022 will begin at Nathan Phillips Square at 12pm Sunday, May 1 and march on Queen’s Park.

2023: May Day Rally and March to Queen’s Park. Tell Doug Ford: Enough is enough!! WHEN: Sunday, April 30. 1PM WHERE: Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto

2024: May 4th at 1pm at Nathan Philips Square. Demanding justice & freedom for all. To march for Palestine on International Workers Day.

2025: The LMDC’s sixth annual International Workers Day rally takes place at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 1pm.

2026: May Day takes place on Friday, May 1, at 5-9 PM. Hosts a food and cultural event in Christie Pits Park with free barbecue food, tabling, a fire pit, and more!