Workers, Advocates Mark May Day in Long Beach With Demands for Justice and Equity

By Daniel Rivera, Labor Reporter

Editor’s note: Activist identities are concealed due to the Trump administration’s crackdown on political enemies, dissenters, and the media.

Long Beach residents and advocacy organizations gathered from across Los Angeles County on May Day to march in solidarity with labor unions to celebrate over a century of labor activism. During the event, they celebrated labor history and advocated for stronger renter/tenant protections, permanent funding for the Long Beach Values Act, and ending discrimination against foreign workers. 

“This Mayday, we remember those who fought and died for the eight-hour work day, for our weekend, and those who continue to fight for better wages and working conditions,” Catherine, an advocate with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, said during the rally. 

May Day is a holiday in most countries on May 1, except in the United States, which celebrates it as Labor Day in September. The idea, however, originated in the 19th century during the early labor movements. 

“We have a rich labor history in this country,” said Nadia, an advocate with the Asian Youth Collective. “There have been times when the workers remember and then forget and then remember again that the workers are the ones with the power.” While labor was the leading theme for May Day, advocates brought to the fore many other issues that workers face, like tenant harassment and racial discrimination.  

Gabriela South Bay advocate Luanne said Filipino workers, whose jobs range from nursing assistants to port seafarers, are often exploited by their employers through wage theft, including bounced checks, missed breaks, unpaid overtime and extremely low wages.

During the rally, the Tenant Union highlighted the struggles renters face. One renter, Jackie, recounted facing multiple eviction notices, with the latest notice related to the landlord citing substantial remodeling as the just cause. 

The Tenant Union calls this a loophole and is calling on the city to close it. Most of Long Beach, are renters—around 60%  according to data from the City of Long Beach—and about 43% are rent-burdened. 

After the rally concluded, the organizers marched down the street along Ocean Boulevard to a building where Vice Mayor Cindy Allen owns two apartment units, 388 and 488 Ocean Blvd., where she rents one out and lives in the other, where she is registered to vote. 

Mar, a speaker and advocate at the rally, accused Vice Mayor Cindy Allen of inserting herself into Long Beach communities by claiming solidarity with residents and sharing personal stories about unhoused family members to gain support. Mar also alleged that although Allen reportedly resides in Orange County, she uses a Long Beach address on Ocean Boulevard to vote in city elections–the same addresses linked to the voter fraud accusations.

The activists alleged that Allen retreated from stricter standards following the temporary eviction freeze due to pressure from fellow council members.

In 2021, the City of Long Beach temporarily froze the substantial eviction loophole, and it was unfrozen at the end of the year. These protections include $4,500 or two months of rent for displacement due to renovations, and now must notify the city so eviction data can be collected.