AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released a statement on International Workers’ Day, often called May Day, addressing labor issues globally and domestically. The statement emphasizes solidarity among workers, particularly in light of actions taken by prominent figures such as former President Trump and Elon Musk.
Shuler highlighted the challenges faced by workers in the U.S., stating, “On International Workers’ Day, working people around the globe are taking action to stand up to the billionaires who are threatening our rights and freedoms. Here at home, President Trump and Elon Musk have slashed thousands of union jobs, ripped up union contracts, cut essential services and are attacking our fundamental freedom to organize for a better life.”
She also accused the Trump administration of illegal actions against union members, mentioning specific cases. “The Trump administration also has illegally targeted our fellow workers—union members like Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was separated from his family in Maryland and sent to a prison in El Salvador without due process, and Rümeysa Öztürk, detained while walking to dinner in Massachusetts and thrown into a detention center thousands of miles away, despite neither of them having committed a crime,” Shuler said.
Emphasizing the theme of unity, Shuler concluded, “An injury to one is an injury to all. When Trump targets immigrant families like Kilmar’s and Rümeysa’s, he targets all workers.”
Shuler underlined the collective resolve of the labor movement, reiterating that, “This May Day, working people are standing together, unified in our commitment to a better future for all workers. We won’t allow billionaires to divide us—especially when it’s based on where we’re from. We’ll fight to protect all workers from the Trump administration’s illegal attacks on our jobs, our unions, our contracts and our freedoms. Our solidarity is our strength.”
