A May Day Story; The REAL Labor Day

 

In the early twentieth century, four men who have since been forgotten attempted to establish a radical labor movement. Their names were Michael, Sam, Louis, and August. These men were leaders of the World Workers Wing, a radical offshoot formed from a variety of radicals from a variety of trade unions, labor unions, and guilds. At a time when workers were expected to work literally till, they dropped, for pennies, or half pennies a day the World Workers Wing was very appealing. Originally formed by utopian socialist and wealthy industrialist Robert Owen. It was obviously influenced heavily by his idea of eight hours work, eight hours rest, and eight hours recreation. In the spirit of Robert Owen, the World Workers Wing also helped workers unionize, as well as buy out their factories and form cooperatives.

On the twenty seventh of April, Michael, Sam, Louis, and August met to discuss an emergency. Michael began, “thank you all for coming, as you know last week we had a demonstration and fundraiser. The funds were supposed to help some farm workers buy out their farm so they could avoid losing their jobs when the boss closes it as he plans. All was going well. We reached our goal and then some when the demonstration was starting to die down. However, right as people were leaving, some private security contractors contracted by the Proprietors Party started a fight, up till this point there had been no violence, but the fight quickly escalated, guns were drawn, cops showed up, and finally a bomb was thrown. We are not sure who threw the bomb at this point, but it gave the cops and the security contractors all the justification they needed to open fire on our demonstrators. Now it seems we are being sued and the funds we raised will barely be enough to cover the damages.” “ Isn’t it true that Bobby Benjamin, the owner of the farm we were trying to help, is a member of the Proprietors Party?” Sam asked. “It is,” Michael answered. “The cynic in me smells a conspiracy,” Louis said. “Oh it is definitely a conspiracy, Bobby knew what we were trying to do and just to stick it to his workers he tried to kill our demonstrators and blame us for the damage, and it fucking worked.” August said before Michael finished saying “conspiracy or coincidence it doesn’t really matter this is a major blow to our efforts, and rather than blame at this point I am looking for solutions, so does anybody have any of those?” as he looked around at the now silent faces of Sam, Louis, and August, as they shook their heads also looking around. “Anybody?” Michael asked once again to silence.

    A few miles west, in an upscale lounge, Bobby Benjamin sat on a cushy green chair by a fireplace. Smoking a cigar as pretty women served champaign and caviar he laughed as he was talking to some of his wealthy friends, “I knew they were going to do that fundraiser or whatever, they were planning it for weeks, and so I knew I could end it with just a phone call, of course my heart goes out to those who lost their lives, but now I will be able to close my farm without any hiccups, there is no way the World Workers Wing will be able to pull of some scheme to stop it, the election is on May first and Mayor Williams is a shoe in, finally we will have that right of first refusal nonsense repealed and our deal can go through as intended.” As he finished laughing Mayor Williams walked in, wearing a nice suit with a top hat and gold pocket watch. “Mayor Williams” Bobby hollered across the lounge as he approached the mayor and continued “how are you, please come over here I have some friends I would like you to meet” as they shook hands and walked over to Bobby’s friends, “Mayor Williams this is Fredrick and Maxwell Bassett of the Bassett Brother’s Card Company” Bobby said as the brothers stood up and shook the mayors hand saying “nice to meet you, we’ve heard wonderful things, it seems we owe you a thanks, Bobby is gonna make an excellent partner and that farm of his perfect for our new casino” “Well thank you boys very much, That casino will put our little town here on the map” Mayor Williams said.

Pierre Owen was walking home after a late town council meeting. He didn’t say much in the meeting. Wondering why he was even there. He was just another faceless city councilman, nothing too exceptional. As he walked down the dark alley hearing rats scurry and people yell incompressible ramblings as he checked his pocket watch he bumped into Michael, on his way back from the World Workers Wing. “Oh my, I am so sorry sir I should have been paying better attention” Pierre said “no worries one could say the same of me” Michael responded with a smile, making Pierre smile as well. Micheal then reached out his hand and continued “my name is Michael, good to meet you sir” Pierre shook Michaels hand and said “likewise, I am Pierre” “Pierre not a name I hear too often around here” Michael said curiously “oh, Ya I am named after my Grandfather, a Frenchmen” he answered as Michael asked “ah, well what do you do Pierre?” “I am a city councilman.” he answered. “Ah a politician” Michael said with intrigue “ya just like my grandfather in France, my mother always hoped maybe I could accomplish more than he did, he was sort of ousted from parliament before being exiled from France” Pierre responded, “wow a very interesting story, who was he?” Michael asked genuinely interested. Pierre’s answer was something so unexpected Michael almost fainted when he heard “Pierre Joseph Proudhon”. Michael asked Pierre “Would you like to grab a drink? I would love to hear more about you. Pierre checked his pocket watch and said, “sure it’s not too late” and they headed to a dive bar down the street.

    At the bar the pair sat at the counter and Michael ordered two beers. He then said “so tell me more about yourself” “Ok well my parents met in Indiana, I never met my father, I was told he was the grandchild of Robert Owen, a utopian socialist an industrialist”- Michael interrupted oh ya, I know about Robert Owen, he was very involved in establishing the World Workers Wing”- “yes, you know about the World Workers Wing?” Pierre interrupted to ask. “Oh “yes, I am a leader in the movement” Michael answered as Pierre continued “oh really fascinating, my largest claim to fame is my support for the right of first refusal initiative that I helped push through, I am very proud of that, and I think my mother would be as well as my grandfather and great grandfather. But it has been hanging on by a thread since its inception and with all my co-sponsors gone, I fear it won’t last much longer, I wish I could do something, but without my co-sponsors I’m just some no name councilman ""No name councilman? You are the grandchild of the father of anarchism and the great grandchild of the father of the cooperative movement; you have the blood of radicals running through your veins” Michael responded. Pierre smiles and says with a laugh “well that sounds good but it’s not gonna make me Mayor or anything” Michael didn’t laugh just thought and mumbled in a serious tone “Mayor, ya Mayor, you could be Mayor’ as he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Pierre as he continued “come by this address tomorrow, bright and early, now I have to go, got some planning to do” He motioned to the bartender and took cash out of his pocket as Pierre interjected “oh no you don’t have to”- Michael put his hand up and interrupted “ I insist, thank you for the talk, it was great to meet you, see you tomorrow” “oh ok ya, thanks” Pierre replied.

Michael tried to convince Sam, Louis, and August to run Pierre as a Mayoral candidate. August said what they were all thinking, “run a Mayoral candidate? We’ve never done that, and we only have three days till the election” Sam jumped in “Ya I mean look I love the idea, but it’s just not enough time, Maybe next year” Michael interjected “look I know it’s a long shot and we almost certainly won’t win but maybe we could get enough support to put pressure on Mayor Williams, and give us a base for next year, but we need to start now, here and now.” Louis, being uncharacteristically quiet during the meeting, finally spoke up “I like it, I think you are right Michael we won’t win, but if we start now, we might next year, and besides after all Mayor Williams and his buddy Bobby Benjamin has done to us, I love the idea of sticking it to him just a little bit” “but like you said we won’t win, and Mayor Williams knows that, so it won’t stick anything to him” August responded. Louis continued “When was the last time Mayor Williams even had someone running against him? Since I can remember he has been running unopposed and as such reelection couldn’t be higher, all the while approval ratings couldn’t be lower, and he knows that too, he knows the only reason he wins is cause everyone is too afraid to oppose him, so give him some opposition, he will be unprepared for it, he will get scared, and that fear may cause him to mess up, but at the very least we will be sticking him with what he fears the most, a more popular opponent.” August had no response, and everyone seemed pretty convinced by Louis’s plea. Michael spoke “ok so it is settled we will run Pierre Owen for Mayor”.

    The four of them worked all night, talking strategy and planning an announcement. Early the next morning right before Pierre showed up, August left to go file the candidacy papers. When Pierre showed up, he noticed the hall looked more like a campaign office. Then he expected and wondered why he was here. Michael saw him and hollered “Pierre, thanks for coming” as he walked over to him, shook his hand and continued “come, come, I want you to meet the rest of the crew, your team” “my team?” Pierre wondered as he and Michael walked over to Louis and Sam. “Louis, Sam, this is Pierre, Pierre, Louis and Sam” they all shook hands as Michael continued “These are your campaign team, as well as me of course and August who is filing the paperwork and should be back soon” Pierre was shocked and asked “campaign team? For what?” Michael answered with a smile “you said it yourself, Mayor” “Mayor! What? I can’t be Mayor” Pierre screamed. “Why not?” Michael asked. Pierre answered as if it was obvious, “because I’m a nobody” “a nobody? Remember what I told you? You have the blood of radicals running through your veins” Michael replied as Pierre continued “ya, but remember what I told you? It’s not like that could make me Mayor ""well I say it could” Michael said with a smile. Pierre and Michael just stood silently staring at each other as Louis and Sam stared at them, wondering what was going on.

When August returned, he immediately announced “okay the paperwork is filed, and I got a press conference scheduled in an hour” before he noticed Michael, Sam, and Louis talking in a corner. He approached them and continued “hey, what’s going on? Did you hear what I said?” Michael responded “yes, that’s great” before Sam jumped in and said, “he didn’t know, Michael didn’t tell him” August asked, “tell who what?” “Michael didn’t tell Pierre about running him, and Pierre doesn’t seem interested” Louis answered before August continued “what the fuck? I just filed papers and got reporters coming for a candidate who doesn’t want to be a candidate” Michael finally spoke up “guys, guys he’s interested he’s just not confident, just lemme talk to him” August replied ok man, but only because we already started, you have an hour, well less now, otherwise this campaign is dead before it even got started.”

Michael approached Pierre and said “hey, so why don’t you think you could pull off Mayor?” “I just don’t think I have it in me, I mean I don’t really have any experience” Pierre responded to which Michael replied “No experience? What are you talking about? You’re a city councilman ""ya but like a nobody, I haven’t done much of anything on the council, I’m not even sure I could if I wanted to” Pierre said before Michael immediately jumped in “What? You don’t want to? I thought all politicians had grand ambitions of mayor and beyond?” “Not me, I guess, it’s not that I don’t want to do more, I just don’t think I would be any good, like I said I haven’t done much” Pierre reiterated. “You said you got the right of first refusal passed, that’s not nothing” Michael reminded him “that was a team effort, and that team is gone now, along with any support I had, so you see even if I said yes to running, I have no support, even as a councilman let alone Mayor. Pierre said. Michael just smiles, puts his hand on Pierre's shoulder and says, “you do now my friend.”

August approached Michael and said, "the reporters are here, what should I tell them?” Michael looked at Pierre and asked, “well Pierre, what do you think?” Pierre paused, looked down at his feet, took a deep breath, looked back up at Michael and said “screw it, let’s do it” Michael smiled and announced “ok everybody we’re on, August go do the introductions we will be right behind you” August just nodded and headed out to talk to the reporters. Pierre, who was just wearing ripped up jeans and a t-shirt asked “wait shouldn’t I change? I don’t look very Mayoral ""you look working class, and that’s your appeal” Michael said with a smile as he and Pierre walked out after August.

August was announcing to the reporters “thank-you all for coming, we have some crazy news, we will be running a candidate for mayor” gasps from the crowd were audible, everyone was surprised. As August continued Pierre leaned over to Sam and said “hey what kinda things are we thinking to get my name out there? To get people to show up to vote? Sam looked confused and said, “we are announcing your candidacy, I guess we will figure that out after, why?” Pierre said “well I was just thinking, and I don’t know if we could do this, but as summer approaches flowers and fruits bloom and in my time on the council I have met a great many working people who wish they could afford more sweet fruits and beautiful flowers, if there was maybe a way we could prepare fruit baskets and bouquets and leave them at doors with maybe some pamphlets or something, I think that could go a long way, but I don’t know, maybe that’s dumb” Sam said surprised “dumb? No that’s genius, you’re gonna be a politician yet, and yes, I think I know how to get that done, I will go figure that out, you get ready for your announcement. Sam left as August ended his announcement saying, “now without any further ado, Pierre Owen, your hopeful next mayor.” 

Pierre walked up waving with both hands in all directions, just like a politician as he approaches the podium as August steps down, they shake hands and Pierre beginning “hi all, I am Pierre Owen, most of you probably don’t know me, I have served on the city council for multiple years and I love it, though I am not the most accomplished, I like being able to make a difference in working people's lives, and always wish I could do more, some years back me and some friends who have all since stepped down from the council, pushed through the right of first refusal and I believe this has saved tenants and workers of all types their livelihoods, unfortunately I have always feared this will be repealed and over the years that fear has become stronger and now I am more afraid than ever. If elected I would work to strengthen this law and establish more like it and even if unelected I will not let it go without a fight, one way or another I intend to make my grandfather Pierre Joseph Proudhon and my great grandfather Robert Owen proud. Thank you” Pierre’s speech ended with applause, gasps and so many reporters screaming out questions all at once that couldn’t possibly be interpreted.

After this Michael, August, and Pierre walked back into the hall. There Sam and Louis were making pamphlets. August asked, “what are you two doing?” “We are making pamphlets. See Pierre had this great idea of delivering baskets full of flowers and fruit to people, so I called the farmers from Benjamin’s farm and asked if there was any way they could get us some fruit and flowers, they said they would take care of it, they should be here tonight, then we can deliver them tomorrow, Louis also suggested a party on election day, so we are preparing pamphlets to put in those baskets to tell people about Pierre and the party, like Louis said this might even be able to help us raise more funds for the farmers”. Michael said, “That's great, don’t you think August?” And despite his general cynicism August couldn’t help but smile as he said, “that’s brilliant” and uncharacteristically hugged and even kissed all of his comrades.

The flowers and fruit arrived that night and they all, even the farmers worked through the night preparing the baskets, before heading out as the sun rose to deliver them. They delivered them anonymously, knocked on doors and left the baskets on the front steps and ran off to the next house where they repeated the cycle. Later that day a newspaper ran an article talking about Pierre’s unprecedented candidacy. Mayor Williams got concerned. As he read the article, he thought to himself, I might actually have to campaign, I’m very out of practice. He called Bobby Benjamin who assured him “look the election is tomorrow, they can’t win this one, you’ll get into office repeal that right of first refusal nonsense and the casino will be built, which like you said yourself will put this town on the map, and you will then be remembered as the mayor who got that done thus securing every election and your legacy after that.”

On the first of May it was election day. The polls were packed, quite a turn out Mayor Williams thought as he worried, they might not be for him as he had not seen that many show up in the past. But it wasn’t just the polls that were packed, the streets were too. People who you’d expect to be at work decided not to go, they were striking. In the park across from the polls the World Workers Wing had an event going on, there were carnival games brought by the carny's union, hayrides brought by the rancher's union, food from farmers, and even a May pole that they all set up together. People on the streets chanted “MAINTAIN RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, MAINTAIN RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL” As the day went on Michael, August, Sam, and Louis were getting happier and happier, they almost had all the money they needed help the farmers buy the farm. Pierre was walking around chatting with people acting like a real politician. August said uncharacteristically “he might actually win this thing” the others looked at him with the surprise “wait, you’re supposed to be the cynic” Sam said “don’t get me wrong, it’s still a long shot, but he seems to be popular and a natural at this kinda thing, one way or another, this kind of momentum is what we need, if we can keep that up and he doesn’t win this time, he damn sure will next year” August replied. To which Sam smiled, chuckled and said “I like this new you August” as he patted him on the shoulder.

    That night around a bonfire everyone waited for the results to be called. When they finally were, everyone was disappointed but channeled that into a late-night protest. Everyone started marching and chanting “MAINTAIN RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL”. While Mayor Williams gave his victory speech “I know some of you were hoping for a different outcome, but I assure you I represent you all, and you can count on me to deliver” the chanting quieted down as Mayor Williams continued “the opportunity that this new casino will bring will benefit us all.” Immediately “BOO” erupted from the onlookers. A leader of the carpenter's union called out “well who’s gonna build it? Cause we’re off till those farmers have that land” “US TOO” the cement masons yelled, this got cheers as Mayor Williams left concerned. He called Bobby Benjamin and said “look I don’t think I can repeal that first refusal thing, it’s just not a great time” “No you can and you will, you must, it’s the only way we will get that casino” Bobby replied as Mayor Williams immediately asked, “how are we gonna get it if no one builds it?” Bobby answered, "go to outta state contractors” Mayor Williams liked this idea until his aid walked in saying “sir we just got some telegrams here you might want to take a look at” Mayor Williams said "hold on Bobby” then put the phone down and said “bring them in” to his aid. Bags filled up with telegrams from union leaders all around the country came in. They all read basically the same; Mayor Williams, I hope this finds you well. We wanted to inform you that our union will be standing with the World Workers Wing and therefore will not be able to help you build your casino, we will also be uninterested in doing any work for you in the future if the right of first refusal is not maintained. Thank you. It wasn’t just union leaders, even proprietors from around the country wrote in saying; Look, Mayor Williams, our workers are striking and won't come back to work if you don’t give some guarantee of maintaining the right of first refusal. For all our sakes we urge you, leave the right of first refusal in place and don’t go anywhere near it this term.

Mayor Williams got back on the phone and said “Bobby, sell to the farmers” and before Bobby could protest he hung up and went outside to announce “Although I maintain a casino would be great for the economic development of this town, upon further consideration I have decided that the right of first refusal is too important to the workers of this town, and so to show you all how much we appreciate your hard work I promise my administration will not touch the right of first refusal, and furthermore, I have decided that you should all be given a long weekend and as such I will give my employees the first Monday of September off so that they can help their kids prepare for going back to school, and will urge all other proprietors to do the same Thank-you” This got cheers as everyone danced around the maypole and sang kumbaya!

THE END