On May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, we reflect on what we have won together and on the power of collective action to create change in our workplaces and communities.
We mark May Day to honour the roots of our movement. On this day in 1886, in Chicago, Illinois, workers took to the streets in a general strike to fight for an eight-hour workday. Their protest was met with violence from anti-union forces determined to stop these protections from becoming reality.
But when workers stand together, we are powerful. And when we stay united in the face of backlash, we can win lasting change.
One hundred and forty years later, the eight-hour workday is the standard for many workers, and the labour movement continues to fight to protect these rights and expand them for everyone.
The eight-hour workday is just one example of what workers have won through organizing. Workers are who secured weekends, maternity and parental leave, health and safety laws, employment standards, and so many other protected rights that we benefit from today.
PSAC has a long and proud history of helping raise the bar for workers across the country.
Print PSAC’s 2026 May Day poster!
In 1980, over 10,000 PSAC members in clerical and regulatory jobs, positions primarily held by women, organized and took action for equal pay. They won wage increases for themselves and their coworkers and helped spark broader demands for pay equity across the public service.
In 2026, we carry that struggle forward. We are working to protect the public services that make our country strong. We’re fighting for flexible work arrangements. We are pushing back against the misuse of risky AI technologies that threaten good union jobs. And we’re demanding safe and healthy workplaces for all.
Today, we recommit ourselves to the solidarity that anchors our movement. Together, we can create change in our workplaces and strengthen our communities and our country.
We do that by growing our movement and staying united.
Want to join the campaign to protect public services and workers’ rights? Visit ForYouCanada.ca to sign up and take action.
This article was first published on the PSAC website.
