President Obama had a question for the delegates to the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department’s (BCTD) annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C.

What’s a better way to make our economy stronger?  Giving another tax break to every millionaire and billionaire in the country?  Or building the roads and bridges and broadband networks that will help our businesses sell more goods around the world?

May Day—International Workers' Day—is a day when there should be no borders or barriers between workers around the world, said Shawna Bader-Blau, executive director of the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center, at a special May Day forum at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C., today. The forum focused on the challenges and conditions of Latina and immigrant workers in the United States and women workers around the globe.

Bob Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, spoke today before hundreds gathered outside of Peabody Opera House as the Peabody Energy Corp. held its shareholders' meeting. Union activists and other members of the 99% Spring want the giant coal company to pay its fair share of taxes—because right now, Peabody's tax breaks take funds from those who need it most, such as St. Louis schools and social services.

Today, some 4,500 RNs at eight Sutter Health hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area are holding a one-day strike to dramatize the highly profitable health care chain’s demand for more than 100 sweeping reductions in patient care, nurse standards and workplace conditions.

In a historic move to strengthen advocacy and mobilization efforts for day laborers, domestic workers and all working people, the Graton Day Labor Center today formally affiliated with the North Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

The partnership announcement fittingly comes on May Day, International Workers’ Day, when working people across the country and around the world are highlighting and celebrating the contributions of workers every day and the role immigrants play in our economy.

The family of Abe and Irene Pollin and Enterprise Homes Inc. broke ground on a new development offering affordable housing in Northeast Washington, D.C., in recent days. MetroTowns at Parkside: The Linda Joy and Kenneth Jay Pollin Community will offer 83 new three-bedroom townhouses that will be built to meet green building standards and create more housing for D.C.’s working people. In fact, employees of the District were given the first opportunity to purchase the homes.

After weeks of picketing hotels across the District of Columbia and months of contract negotiations, area hotel workers have won groundbreaking contracts, says UNITEHERE! Local 25 Executive Secretary-Treasurer John Boardman.

We had five goals for this negotiation round and we reached them all.

Today, working people around the world are celebrating May Day, International Workers’ Day. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the message around the globe is:

Workers’ rights should be universal and every person—no matter what nationality, ethnicity or gender—must have equal rights and the opportunity to achieve a better life.