California Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) has introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 3042) that would recognize “International Workers’ Day” as a public holiday for students and school employees in the state. The bill would authorize school districts and charter schools to designate May 1 as “International Workers’ Day” with schools to be closed – and employees to be paid – for the “holiday.” Additionally, the bill would require schools that elect to observe “International Workers’ Day” to commemorate and direct students’ attention to the history of the labor movement in the United States. The bill would eliminate “Washington Day” and “Lincoln Day” as separate school holidays and combine them into one “Presidents’ Day” in order to make room for “International Workers’ Day.”
Of course, May 1 or “May Day” is one of the most important holidays in communist countries such as the People’s Republic of China, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and the former Soviet bloc nations.
Despite passing two Assembly committees, the bill failed on the Assembly floor on May 10, 2018 by a vote of 22-27 with 29 members abstaining. However, Assembly Member Santiago vows to bring AB-3042 up for another vote this summer. Workers of the World, stay tuned!