May Day NYC 2009

For those of you that don't know, May 1st was May Day, aka International Workers Day, aka the real Labour Day. And New York City had its fair share of May Day celebrations taking place all over the city.

I marched with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in the Break the Chains feeder march from Chinatown to Union Square. The feeder march and rally at Grand and Chrystie was organized by Chinese Staff and Workers Association (CSWA) and The National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NMASS).

At Union Square Park the Break the Chains feeder march joined up with the much larger rally and march organized by the May 1st Coalition, while the IWW contingent broke off at this point to protest the anti-union multinational coffee chain, Starbucks. Members of the IWW, the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) and supporters went inside two seperate Starbucks cafes located on opposite ends of Union Square Park to protest the company's ongoing and illegal union-busting practices. Both store locations contain active union baristas who have been fighting for a livable wage and the right to organize.



Break the Chains feeder march organized by Chinese Staff & Workers and National Mobilization Against Sweatshops.


"Say What?" IWW members, aka "wobblies" chanting "Ain't No Power Like The Power of The People Cuz The Power of The People Don't Stop!"


NYC SWU and IWW break off from the "Break the Chains" May Day feeder to protest inside two seperate Starbucks locations in Union Square (Union Square East and 17th & Broadway). This Footage shows the Wob Mob going into 17th and Broadway.