The government has committed trillions of dollars to bail out Wall Street in less than a year. And as the Obama administration and the corporate elite bicker over what money goes where, those most affected by the economic crisis have been seemingly shut out of negotiations.

Caught in between the finger-pointing and bank bailouts are the communities that are absorbing the brunt of foreclosures and rising unemployment. But this May 1, the unemployed, the homeless and immigrants are taking their demands to the streets.

The New York May 1st Coalition, a committee of more than 40 immigrant and worker rights organizations in the New York region, will rally at noon at Union Square to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day) and to hold President Barack Obama accountable on his 100th day in office.

STANDING TOGETHER: Members and supporters of the New York May 1st Coalition. PHOTO: THOMAS MARCZEWSKI

May Day is a holiday to honor the social and economic achievements of labor movements worldwide, and is a day to rally for ongoing struggles. The day was immoralized by the chaos and violence during a massive labor rally in Chicago’s Haymarket Square May 4, 1886. The holiday, however, has since lost much of its significance within the United States.

In 2006, 120 years later, factory workers were joined by social justice advocates and immigrants in what became known as “A Day Without an Immigrant.â€