Thousands of demonstrators organized May Day actions on May 1, 2025, with marches converging in major cities and some groups moving toward the White House as part of nationwide events.
Organizers promoted a day of boycotts and walkouts under the banner ‘May Day Strong,’ urging people to skip work, school and shopping to protest the policies of the Trump administration and what they describe as corporate and billionaire influence over government. The events build on previous anti-Trump demonstrations organized under the ‘No Kings’ slogan, which organizers say have drawn millions of participants across the country.
May 1 is International Labor Day in many countries and has roots in 19th-century campaigns for an eight-hour workday. In the United States, federal labor rules evolved over the 20th century, with a 44-hour workweek set in 1938 and reduced to 40 hours in 1940.
The National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest labor union with about 3 million members, was a leading organizer. NEA President Becky Pringle framed this year’s actions as prioritizing workers over billionaires, saying school employees, bus drivers and nurses are feeling the effects of policies that she says favor the ultra-wealthy while reducing funding for public services such as education.
More than 500 labor unions, student groups and community organizations were reported to be taking part. The Sunrise Movement, a youth climate group, estimated that more than 100,000 students would miss class in a coordinated ‘strike.’
In North Carolina, where per-pupil spending and teacher pay rank low nationally, roughly 20 public school districts planned closures or anticipated significant staff absences. Educators, transportation and cafeteria staff, and maintenance workers gathered in Raleigh to press the state legislature for increased education funding. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools district voted to cancel classes on May 1 because of expected absences; a district spokesperson said the decision reflected a shared desire to support teachers’ efforts to remain in and serve their communities.
Bryan Proffitt, vice president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said the Raleigh rally was the third demonstration by educators in eight years under the ‘Kids Over Corporations’ campaign, which calls for greater public-school investment, an end to corporate tax cuts, stronger democratic processes and expanded labor rights.
Not all officials supported the shutdowns. State Sen. Amy Galey said a one-day closure would not benefit students, noting there were fewer than 20 instructional days left in the school year.
Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Chicago Teachers Union, argued that lower taxes on the very wealthy leave schools and other public services underfunded, and urged organizing to secure resources for students and communities.
May Day actions were also planned or held in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque and Portland, Oregon, among other cities.
In contrast, the White House noted that President Trump has designated May 1 as ‘Loyalty Day’ in his first term and emphasized the administration’s support for American workers. A White House statement pointed to renegotiated trade deals, investments in manufacturing, tax changes and border security as evidence of that commitment.