Italian unionists from the Federation of Metallurgical and Office Workers (FiOM) will join the ILHS at 12:30 p.m. on May Day, Sunday, May 1, to unveil their commemorative plaque on the Haymarket’s Square statue’s base.  The base features plaques from labor movements around the globe, marking May 1 as International Workers’ Day.

The FiOM was scheduled last year but because of COVID could not attend.  Since 2005 the ILHS and the Chicago Federation of Labor have co-sponsored the annual May 1 gathering.  The statue is on Des Plaines Street, just north of Randolph, in Chicago’s west loop.  This is where on May 4, 1886 an eight-hour day rally took place, which was attacked by the police, who were then the victims of an unknown bomb thrower.

The FiOM was founded in 1901 as Italy’s first industrial union.  The organization helped found the General Italian Confederation of Labor (CGIL) in 1906.

The union achieved strong gains through the World War I period through factory occupations and other militant actions.  Benito Mussolini’s 1922 fascist take-over repressed unions.  The union lost leaders either killed or imprisoned by the fascist regime.  During World War II union activist aided the resistance.

After the war contract gains were won and in 1969 the union linked support with student and women’s movements.  The over 300,000 member strong union continues to fight for workers’ rights in the globalization age.

ILHS President Larry Spivack welcomes all to the May 1 event, saying, “We hope you can join us once again to honor and celebrate the events from the Haymarket Affair that led to the creation of International Labor Day. This is the one place where workers of the world actually unite!”