MADISON, Wis. -- Never more timelier than this year, the first day of May brought the annual May Day rally for workers’ rights throughout Wisconsin.

Originally set aside to celebrate the international labor movement, Madison's May Day rally took place at Brittingham Park on Sunday. While the event typically focuses on immigrant rights, this year’s rally also featured much strong opposition to Gov. Scott Walker's budget that limits collective bargaining rights for most state employees.

"We want people to come out here and join and get the information out as far as affordable housing, affordable health care, fighting against what's going on now as far as the bargaining, losing our benefits," said Clarissa Pearson of the Immigrant Workers’ Union. "Really trying to remind people what May Day is all about. It's the 8-hour workday for people who sacrificed to have this day be for us."

Those at the rally then marched to the state Capitol building.

In Milwaukee, immigration-rights leaders teamed up with national labor leaders to fight for workers' rights and support reform both in Wisconsin and nationwide.

Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Milwaukee on Sunday as part of a coordinated series of May Day rallies across the nation.

Speakers at a rally afterward included AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. He said it's natural for the two groups to combine forces because they're being attacked by the same conservative opponents.

The march was organized by Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant-rights group. Executive director Christine Neumann-Ortiz told demonstrators that politicians are holding the working class responsible for Wall Street's failures.

Marcher Carlos Gutierrez, 40 of Oak Creek, said people who are willing to work hard should be given the chance, no matter where they're from.