Workers in action: Student reflection on May Day 2026
A UCLA undergraduate student shares her experience attending May Day with the UCLA Department of Labor Studies
Tanveer Sandal | May 22
Tanveer Sandal is a student communications assistant at the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) and an undergraduate fourth year psychology major. This year, she attended her first May Day march with the UCLA Department of Labor Studies student contingent. She wrote the following article reflecting on her experience participating in the labor rights demonstration, tying in expert perspectives and labor studies student voices.
My first May Day began with an early morning, boarding a bus from UCLA campus to MacArthur Park with nearly 50 other students. The atmosphere felt friendly and supportive, with students swapping stories of past May Days and sharing tips and tricks for underclassmen.
When we arrived at the newly renovated UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, I was impressed by the lively community presence and welcoming environment. We were greeted by Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, a UCLA Labor Studies lecturer and expert, who gave a short introduction and listed off the march’s itinerary and general expectations.
Later, I interviewed Rivera-Salgado about student participation and leadership at May Day. He stated that, “For labor studies, it’s always a goal to be rigorous in terms of how we study labor, the theory and practices, but we also want to encourage students to learn by doing. So this is a moment where they could see workers and the labor movement in action.”
After gathering light snacks and water for the march ahead, we were ushered out of the building by Rivera-Salgado who requested volunteers to hold the banner displaying the UCLA Labor Center. I volunteered to hold the banners alongside the new friend I had made, and together we listened to the instructions on how to keep the pace and become familiar with the chants.
Later I had the pleasure of meeting the students from the Labor Studies Student Union (LSSU), a student-led organization rooted in solidarity and labor advocacy. LSSU played a crucial role turning out UCLA students for the May Day march. Karla Perez, the student president shared, “I think as a student population, it’s our responsibility to be frequently on the ground in different spaces where a lot of our workers or the communities we serve are,” she said.
I also spoke to Christina Morcus, an LSSU student, about education as a call to action. “Students and workers have historically been at the forefront of every issue,” she said. “I think that education is a privilege and a blessing to be able to receive, and with it comes the responsibility of envisioning and enacting, creating a better future for us.”
Marching through the streets of Los Angeles, protesters called attention to the sites of ongoing fights over fair contracts, like at Starbucks and other large corporations. Students also paid tribute to immigrant workers as we marched by Home Depot, where day laborers had been targeted by immigration enforcement.
When we passed by the MacArthur Park Visual and Performing Arts Elementary School, the children waved excitedly and cheered alongside the crowd. This was an incredibly profound moment as it served as an excellent reminder that labor advocacy is an ongoing movement that future generations will inherit.
This sentiment was shared by Jack Bachman, a labor studies student who remarked, “Just seeing the youth who, even if they might not know the whole history of [May Day], or understand the significance of it yet…seeding that early is really beautiful in my eyes.”
The May Day march came to a close as we neared Gloria Molina Grand Park by City Hall. Creating new memories and celebrating the historic day was an incredible way to honor the efforts of those who came before us, while also pushing forward for the future. As the political atmosphere of Los Angeles continues to shift, the fight for labor and human rights becomes increasingly important to protect.
The UCLA Department of Labor Studies is the first department of its kind at the University of California. Since its founding in the early 2000s, the academic program has been renowned for its commitment to engaged student learning in community worker settings, rigorous hands-on research and courses that explore urgent labor and social justice issues.
