Resources

MAY DAY
whyistrike.tumblr.com
maydaynyc.org
maydaysolidarity2012.org
occupymay1st.org
may1.info
Twitter: @OWSMayDay, #MayDay, #M1GS

Facebook: Occupy May 1st, May Day 2012,
Occupy May Day -- General Strike
Occupy Wall Street:
occupy.com, nycga.net occupywallst.org
OWS Orientation every Saturday 2:00-4:00 at
Union Sq. Park, by the Gandhi statue
Spring Training Marches every Friday before May
1st starting at Liberty Plaza (Zuccotti Park) at 2 PM
Local Contact:








On May 1st 2012
A Day Without the 99%
No Work
No School
No Housework
No Shopping
No Banking
May Day:
A General Strike and more!
Schedule for May 1st in NYC
Theres something for everyone, from family
friendly events, services, and workshops, to
permitted marches and civil disobedience.
BRYANT PARK
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM: Fun and friendly gathering
with teach-ins, workshops, food, health and
legalservices. Staging area for direct actions and
civil disobedience.
12:00 PM: Guitar workshop and rehearsal for the
Occupy Guitarmy with Tom Morello (Rage Against
the Machine).
2:00 PM: March with the Occupy Guitarmy to
Union Square.
MADISON SQUARE PARK
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Free University with lectures,
workshops, skill-shares, and discussions.
University professors will bring their classes to
the commons.
UNION SQUARE
12:00 PM: Events include skill sharing, more free
services, performances, and artwork.
4:00 PM: Unity Rally with performances by Tom
Morello, Dan Deacon, Immortal Technique, Das
Racist, Bobby Sanabria, and other special
guests.
5:30 PM: Permitted march to Wall Street with a
coalition of labor, immigrant, OWS, student, and
faith organizations.
7:00 PM: March to staging area for evening actions.
* Keep an eye out for other events springing up
all over the city and in YOUR neighborhood!
Why would we Strike?
Something is wrong. Everybody senses it. Even
though we live in the richest country on earth,
most of us struggle to survive. Big banks and
big corporations run our country. And the poli-
ticians? Theyre either on the make or on the
take. At best, theyre blind to the corruption.
Al worsl, lhey're direclly proIlihg Irom il. Ahd
the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves.
The richesl 400 Americahs have as much
wealth as half of the US population
The average 0E0 is paid hearly 200 limes as
much as the average worker
0he halI oI all Americahs live below lhe poverly lihe
Ih New York, a worker earhihg mihimum wage
must work 136 hours a week to pay rent
No mihimum wage worker ih ahy slale cah pay
rent working 40 hours a week
By reIusihg lo go lo work Ior 0NE DAY, we cah
send a message. For one day, we can refuse
to contribute a single penny to the system that
has caused us so much suffering. We will use
our energy to connect with each other, and not
to enrich our bosses. For one day, lets see how
well the 1% do without us.
General Strike? Really?
Traditionally, a general strike occurs when
several labor unions come together for a com-
mon cause. In Europe general strikes are com-
mon, but in the US the government has passed
laws lhal make il very diIIcull, eveh illegal,
for unions to strike. So what can we do? The
Occupy movement believes in People Power.
In September, a Peoples Occupation was born
ahd chahged lhe haliohal dialogue. Now we
are envisioning a Peoples Strike, driven not by
leaders, but by real working people -- by you.
You have lhe power lo demahd a beller world.
So what should I do on May 1st?
Take the day off...
0all ih sick, lake a vacalioh day, or lake a halI-day.
If you absolutely have to work on May 1st...
Work slowly and follow the rules to the letter.
Your boss mighl hol like il, bul lhey cah'l puh-
ish you for following the rules.
Dont go to class...
School is ih lhe slreels. 0ollege sludehls will
hold an outdoor free university. Visit the
Peoples Library and attend free teach-ins and
workshops.
Share a skill you have...
Or learn a new skill. Teach a song at the kids zone.
Dont spend money...
Dont go shopping or to the bank. Take advan-
tage of the FREE resources that will be coordi-
nated by Occupy Wall Street, including food, a
free market, and free health and legal services.
Have experience in one of these areas?
Volunteer your services, or bring the mutual aid
right into your own neighborhood.
Do some networking...
Joih a discussioh ahd share Y0UR ideas aboul
the kind of world you would like to see. Learn
about what others are already doing and how
you can get involved.
Check out the big concert and join the march to
Wall Street with Labor and Immigrant groups.
And if youre feeling really empowered...
join us for some civil disobedience. Take
lhe message direclly lo lhe 1%: Ya basla!
Ehough already!
What is May Day?
1886, Chicago In the late 19th century
Americans were working harder than ever
before, for longer and longer hours, under
harsh conditions. On May 1st, 1886, more
lhah 100,000 workers ih 0hicago wehl oh
strike demanding an 8-hour workday. Police
attacked the strikers, and the conflict over
the next several days resulted in deaths and
injuries on both sides. Since then, May 1st has
been recognized as International Workers Day,
a day to recognize the struggles of the working
class all over the world.
2006, Los Angeles A coalition of immigrant
justice groups in LA asked immigrant workers
to demonstrate their value by showing America
a day without an immigrant. On May 1st
immigrant workers across the country walked
off the job and into the streets, including more
lhah 1 millioh people ih LA ahd 200,000 ih NY0.
2012, NYC and Everywhere This year the
global Occupy movement is calling for work-
ers everywhere to demonstrate their power by
refusing to participate in the economic system
Ior ohe day. A day wilhoul lhe 99% !
Haymarket Martyrs Memorial, Forest Park, Illinois