Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson Commemorates May Day in Chicago

Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL 01) Commemorates May Day in Chicago

May 1, 2025 - Chicago, IL

Today, we honor "May Day"-International Workers' Day-a moment of reflection, resistance, and recommitment to the labor movement's enduring fight for dignity, equity, and justice.

May Day has deep roots in Chicago's history. In 1886, tens of thousands of workers took to our city's streets demanding an eight-hour workday, culminating in the tragic Haymarket Affair. The courage of those early organizers, who faced brutal repression simply for asserting their humanity, sparked a global movement. That history is not distant to me; it is personal. I was raised in a home where the fight for workers' rights, civil rights, and economic justice were inseparable. My father, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, marched with striking workers and championed their cause alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life in Memphis while supporting sanitation workers demanding fair wages and respect.

Nearly 140 years after Haymarket, the struggle continues. In 2025, over 60% of American workers still live paycheck to paycheck, and more than 30 million workers in the U.S. earn less than $15 an hour. While CEO pay has risen by over 1,200% since 1978, compared to just 15% growth in average worker wages. The gig economy, corporate union-busting, and attacks on collective bargaining threaten to erode the progress generations have fought to build. In Illinois alone, tens of thousands of low-wage workers, particularly Black, Latino, and immigrant communities, continue to face unsafe conditions, wage theft, and systemic inequality.

That is why I stand in full solidarity with the workers of Chicago and beyond who are mobilizing today for a living wage, safe workplaces, healthcare, and the right to organize without fear.

May Day is not just about honoring the past. It is about defending the present and building a future where every worker, no matter their job, immigration status, or zip code, is treated with dignity. I applaud the labor unions, grassroots organizers, and everyday people who are showing up today and every day to demand that America live up to its promise.

On this May Day, I renew my commitment in Congress to champion the PRO Act, fight for a federal living wage, ensure universal paid family and medical leave, and protect the sacred right to organize.

An injury to one is an injury to all. The labor movement is the heartbeat of democracy.

In unity and struggle,

Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson
Illinois's First Congressional District