By Peter Olney and Rand Wilson
The buzz about reclaiming, updating and branding May 1 as a Day Without Immigrants is growing in ways that are true to May Day’s historic origins the recent movement recalls the 19th century struggle for the eight-hour workday and the giant mobilizations in 2006 that responded to proposed draconian anti-immigrant federal legislation called the Sensenbrenner Immigration Bill. Spanish radio is already churning with calls for strikes, rallies and demonstrations.
If we don’t march with these Latin[o] workers, we will lose the confidence and trust of [a] whole generation of Latinos,” American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Regional Director David Stickler said .
Sickler’s argument won the day, and Los Angeles labor turned out for the march. That action and many others solidified the labor/Latino nexus. In one generation, California went from “Reagan-land” to solid Blue Democratic.
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