May Day protests planned in New Orleans
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Nurses at University Medical Center are holding a one-day strike Thursday amid a national protest movement on International Workers' Day.
Why it matters: The strike is one of two "May Day" events being held in New Orleans as people rally against what organizers are calling President Trump's "war on working people."
The big picture: It's the third time UMC nurses have been on strike during union contract negotiations, according to National Nurses United.
- The nurses, in a statement, say they are striking against workplace violence.
- LCMC, which owns UMC, told Emily Woodruff at The Times-Picayune that the hospital system is looking to use contract nurses from its other hospitals to fill the gap.
Catch up: UMC nurses voted in December 2023 to unionize, making them the first private-sector hospital in Louisiana with a nurses union.
Meanwhile, other "May Day Strong" protests are scheduled downtown and in Covington and Baton Rouge.
- Protests against the Trump administration have built momentum as he faces sinking approval ratings and Americans increasingly witness the ramifications of his policies.
- Thursday's events will include rallies, marches, town halls and other actions against the "billionaire takeover" of the federal government.
By the numbers: More than 1,100 protest events are scheduled in nearly 1,000 cities across all 50 states.
- At least 70,000 people are expected to participate, organizers say.
What they're saying: "This May Day we are fighting back," the organizers' website said.
- "We are demanding a country that puts our families over their fortunes —public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, prosperity over free market politics."
State of play: This month's Hands Off! and 50501 protests marked significant, grassroots resistance to the Trump administration and Elon Musk's influence in the federal government.
- The movements have shared motivations and end goals: fighting for the protections of immigrants and LGBTQ+ people; protecting Social Security and other safety net programs; retaining federal funding for public education; and upending government corruption.
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