From Frank Hammer.
retired UAW Local 909 General Motors President and Bargaining Chair
Against precarious work—shorter working hours with full wage compensation—Down with fascism and imperialist wars
April 23, 2026: Call by the International Coordination Group (ICOG) for May 1, 2026: In the Middle East, the danger of a global conflagration has intensified enormously following the imperialist attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran and Lebanon. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues unabated. Worldwide, the shifting of the burdens of war and crisis onto workers and their families through price hikes—such as for gas, gasoline, or diesel—is placing an enormous strain on people. While billionaires like Elon Musk grow ever richer, hundreds of millions worldwide are fighting for their very survival.
A destructive battle for raw materials and markets is raging in the international automotive industry. The consequences are mass layoffs and a massive intensification of exploitation in the workplaces. In more and more countries, fascist and ultra-reactionary governments are dismantling democratic and workers’ rights. In response, there have been general strikes in India, for example, with over 250 million participants. In Russia, Belarus, and Iran, democratic trade unions are banned, and union activists are imprisoned and tortured. 120 million people worldwide are fleeing their homes. With imperialist wars and a rollback in climate policy, environmental destruction is advancing at a massive pace.
Resistance is growing worldwide against warmongering, the expansion of the war economy, and oppression. On February 6, dockworkers organized an international day of strike against war preparations and arms shipments. In the U.S., the fascist President Donald Trump is increasingly on the defensive with his hunt for migrants and his waging of war. The “No Kings” mass movement demonstrated on March 28 with over 8 million people. Union members are standing up to protect migrants and courageously opposing the ICE terror groups.
Governments in many countries are shifting to a war economy and beginning war preparations. In response, protests are successfully developing, including at plants of major automotive corporations such as Ford, Volkswagen, and CATL. During an international day of action at Stellantis on March 24, colleagues opposed plans to close seven plants in Europe. This was a result of the 3rd International Automotive Workers' Conference, which took place from November 20–24, 2025, with over 250 participants in Pune, India.
The delegates discussed and adopted a Joint Resolution titled “Automotive Workers Against Exploitation, Right-ward Developments, and Fascism, the Threat of War, and Environmental Destruction”. It states: “In many countries around the world, auto workers are waging tough struggles and strikes. … It is our task as the International Automotive Workers' Coordination to fight in solidarity with the workers… We wage these struggles as part of the fight for social transformation, for a society free from exploitation and oppression. This requires us to take responsibility for the future of humanity.”
At the automotive workers' conference, the resolution “Unite all auto workers to honor the 140th anniversary of May Day in 2026!” was unanimously adopted.
“The International Automotive Workers Coordination initiate a call for automotive workers of the world to initiate or join militant commemorations of May 1st - May Day – on this, the 140th anniversary of this holiday honoring the militant traditions originating with the U.S. working class and thereby demonstrate to the world, we are prepared to defend our interests as part of a growing international working class movement.“
Take to the streets and squares on May 1, 2026!
In the U.S., over 2,000 May Day demonstrations are planned this year, a change from the former practice of union leaders to only take action on Labor Day in September. Their protests include the fight against the rise of fascism in the U.S. In France, trade unions are resisting government plans to weaken the May Day holiday. We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Turkey and other countries who are courageously taking to the streets, even when their demonstrations are obstructed, suppressed, or banned.
Take action, organize, and demonstrate against exploitation, for peace and against imperialist wars, against oppression and fascism, against the ongoing destruction of the environment!
Long live international solidarity!
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