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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew criticism on social media Monday after using his Labor Day message to credit “democratic socialists” with helping lead the movement behind the first Labor Day parade, while also touting his administration’s newly created Office of Worker Power.

“In 1882, 10,000 workers marched up Broadway in the first-ever Labor Day parade. Led by democratic socialists and organized by New York’s unions, they rallied the movement that went on to win us weekends, safety standards, overtime pay, a minimum wage, and social security,” Mamdani said in his Labor Day post.

“None of those victories were guaranteed. And none are permanent,” he said, pointing to his administration’s creation of the “first-in-the-nation Office of Worker Power to put the full weight of City Hall behind the people who keep New York running.”

“On Labor Day, we honor the workers who came before us by fighting for the workers who come next,” he added. “Happy Labor Day, New York. The future of worker power is ours to build.”

Mamdani’s characterization of the origins of Labor Day quickly prompted criticism online, with some users questioning his description of the organizers of the 1882 parade as “democratic socialists.”

“Democratic socialists? In 1882? And people think you’re brilliant? Your influencers are doing a great job with the taxpayer money you’re paying them with to LIE for you,” one social media user wrote.

“The difference is those people actually worked for what they received. They didn’t get handouts… nor did they ask for them,” another remarked.

Other critics objected to Mamdani drawing a connection between the labor activists of the late 19th century and today’s democratic socialist movement, including over contemporary immigration policies.

One critic wrote that the early labor activists were not demonstrating in favor of illegal immigrants coming into the United States to “steal our jobs and lower our bargaining power.”

“Making believe ‘Democratic Socialists’ had something to do with it. lol, nice one,” another wrote.

The history behind the first Labor Day celebration is more complicated than the online dispute suggested. The U.S. Department of Labor says the first Labor Day was held in New York City on September 5, 1882, under plans developed by the Central Labor Union. Historical accounts dispute whether Peter J. McGuire or Matthew Maguire deserves primary credit for proposing the holiday, with more recent research cited by the Labor Department supporting the case for Matthew Maguire.

The modern Democratic Socialists of America did not exist at the time. The organization was created exactly a century later, in 1982, through the merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement. DSA itself notes, however, that its ideological roots extend considerably further back in the history of American socialism and the labor movement.

Mamdani’s Labor Day message coincided with his signing of an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office of Worker Power, which his administration described as the first municipal office of its kind in the country.

The new office is intended to coordinate worker-related initiatives across City Hall, conduct outreach and research, hold public hearings on labor issues and connect workers with information about workplace rights and organizations that provide assistance. Its focus is expected to include gig workers, immigrant workers, worker classification issues and the effects of new technologies on employment.

The controversy over Mamdani’s Labor Day message comes amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over socialism and capitalism.

A CBS News poll released in August found that 58 percent of Democrats surveyed held a positive view of socialism, compared with 32 percent who viewed capitalism positively. The findings became a subject of discussion within the party, including during an interview with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Mamdani, a member of DSA, has made his democratic socialist political identity a prominent part of his public career. His administration has pursued proposals including city-owned grocery stores and other policies intended to address affordability and workers’ economic concerns, while critics have challenged the costs and economic consequences of those initiatives.

{Matzav.com}