• Nakoichi [they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    There's been some talk around October 15th, I just kinda wrote it off as there have been lots of calls for a general strike from people that don't understand the logistics of such an action. Who knows maybe its for real this time? I wouldn't get my hopes up but the general impression I get from labor organizers I know is that there is a massive amount of untapped energy for that right now.

    • spectre [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Is there any actual organizing at all going toward that? My impression is that it was the twice-a-year tweetstorm that turns into nothing cause the online world is not real life, but I could be wrong.

      • Alaskaball [comrade/them]MA
        ·
        3 years ago

        No it's the yearly "let's only scream and shout and let it all out about doing a general strike on this random day " lib-left meme

        • Nakoichi [they/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Yeah, I would like to think I would hear about it before any of that social media cycle shit because I actually have a lot of union contacts through my own organizing efforts.

          • Alaskaball [comrade/them]MA
            ·
            3 years ago

            There's an infinitely vast difference between shitposters on social media accounts with not enough followers to fill a highschool football's bleachers saying they're gonna pull off the largest general strike in American history and the noise that happens from all levels of a union before the official public speakers of their union do a public announcement for performing a strike over something like cost-of-living adjustments plus healthcare bennies increases

        • GVAGUY3 [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I saw someone say they wanted to use one of their vacation days for that

          • Alaskaball [comrade/them]MA
            ·
            3 years ago

            Well something the old school teamsters would do if they were getting fucked by their management over something like too much overtime or shitty conditions or whatever, would be to have everyone call in sick that day. Or if they were doing a strike they'd not just hold a picket outside their workplace but also go inside their workplace and lay in front of their equipment so shit wouldn't get done period.

          • Nakoichi [they/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            Their heart's in the right place, you just gotta convince people that if you all do it they can't punish everyone (unless its a big corporation that can afford just shuttering a location).

            • Owl [he/him]
              ·
              3 years ago

              "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" got a lot of Americans to think about collective action for the first time.

      • Skullface [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I'm not sure how much that even indicates at this point. If a general strike does happen it's not going to go through the left channels which are already corrupted, incompetent and only concerned with doing the bare minimum to keep donations flowing.

      • GiveMeSickos [they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        There was actually some decent chatter around it online, but it being organized on a Discord server and it was announced and being promoted before any unions had signed on to participate. Apparently leadership had some fuckery going on as well.

    • hexaflexagonbear [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      I don't think it's about untapped energy, I think it's just a good time for a strike for a lot of places. Employers are desperate to stay open, and there isn't a huge surplus of labor for scabs. It would be irresponsible for most unions not to push as far as they can right now. I think these occurring close to each other is a consequence of that almore than anything.

      • Nakoichi [they/them]
        ·
        edit-2
        3 years ago

        By untapped energy I mean that because of the shortage of people willing to work shitty jobs for inadequate pay there is a huge amount of leverage that workers could seize on right now. We did it at my job and a single day walkout got raises, promotions, and an increases to the base starting pay for everyone.

        Employers are scared right now. That is where the potential comes from.

    • LibsEatPoop3 [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah exactly. I dunno if the Oct 15 date is realistic but goddamn it certainly feels like things are heating up.

    • NaturalsNotInIt [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      That's right around when the government goes broke too. Seize the day comrades.

    • CopsDyingIsGood [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      There will never be a real general strike in America. It's as likely as finding life on Mars