full video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT9XpLEmy9U

  • happybadger [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    If I had kids I'd name them Shawn Fain Jr.

    edit: all of them.

    • dead [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      The UAW just finished negotiating a new contract with the "Big 3" auto manufacturers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (fka Fiat Chrysler). The contract includes things such as a 25% wage increase for all UAW workers, return of Cost of Living Adjustment, removal of some of the wage tier systems, higher wages for temporary and new workers, bonuses to 401k and pension plans, and the right to strike over plant closures.

      The new contract is going to expire on April 30, 2028. Shawn Fain is asking for other unions to prepare for a strike at the same time so that all unions involved will have greater collective bargaining power.

      In the longer video Shawn Fain says:

      We demanded a longer contract because one of our biggest goals coming out of this historic contract victory is to organize like we've never organized before. When we return to the bargaining table in 2028, it won't just be with the "Big 3" but instead with the "Big 5" or "Big 6".

      I believe Shawn Fain is alluding that the UAW is attempting to unionize other car manufacturer companies in the next 5 years.

      UAW posted key points of the speech in this twitter thread:
      https://nitter.net/UAW/status/1718800729266082186

  • Grimble [he/him,they/them]
    ·
    8 months ago

    This could be huge.

    If you see an increasing number of "As a leftist, fuck socialism" psyops in the coming years, just remember it's because they're scared.

  • kristina [she/her]
    ·
    8 months ago

    now this is how you do a general strike, not just posting about it on twitter

    • Harajukum [any]
      ·
      8 months ago

      I'd argue posting it out there for years made the idea more palatable for people

      • CrushKillDestroySwag
        ·
        8 months ago

        I think the posting about it was a reflection of people becoming more open to the idea from other sources. The actual people talking about a general strike on Twitter are a pretty marginal group that only terminally online politics weirdos like us even know about.

    • iridaniotter [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      8 months ago

      Well, the past decade has been full of Twitter leftists "declaring" an imminent general strike with predictably zero results. So if this actually materializes, it will be a great accomplishment despite taking four and a half years.

  • aFairlyLargeCat [he/him]
    ·
    8 months ago

    I can’t help it, but any time I hear the name “Shawn Fain” I just think connolly-shining

  • Goadstool [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    I love this because it's like setting up a prophecy. Remember that 2012 Mayan doomsday thing? People actually thought we were gonna get raptured or some shit. Setting up this strike this far in advance only increases the likelihood that it'll actually happen, imo. Especially since - even here on Hexbear - any other time anyone mentions the concept of a general strike, a fuckload of naysayers start aggressively shredding its wings before it can even get off the ground.

    • spectre [he/him]
      ·
      8 months ago

      It's partly because "people mentioning a general stroke" is always just "a bunch of people mentioning a general strike" online without the support of a single actual union.

    • SerLava [he/him]
      ·
      8 months ago

      I think people will get behind this one, this one has firepower behind it. Still needs to grow but damn, we're cooking with gas

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      8 months ago

      Setting it so far in advance could also make people antsy to strike immediately, so there could be some predecessor organizing in the meantime

  • plinky [he/him]
    ·
    8 months ago

    Kinda gives a game away a little bit (?)

    • Infamousblt [any]
      ·
      8 months ago

      This is the point. He's telling the auto industry "look at how we won and how much it cost you. We're gonna win again next time too. Up to you how much it'll cost you next time."

      Nothing wrong with this strategy. Strikes are the last resort. It's better to avoid a strike in the first place, and you can avoid the strike of the company is already aware of and afraid of your worker power.

      Fain and the UAW has very clearly demonstrated their worker power this year. He's signalling that he'll do it again next time and giving the auto makers a way out.

      • SerLava [he/him]
        ·
        8 months ago

        2028 also means pressure on the next presidential campaigns, which they've shown that they care about. Every possible candidate will be weaker in the next election cycle compared to our current race, which is the incumbent versus a person half the republican party thinks is literally the incumbent.

  • Mardoniush [she/her]
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    Prophet Fain has come with a message from the godhead.

    Seriously though, this should get top billing at every org meeting in the Anglosphere. Day of Rage, Day of Revolt.

  • ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip
    ·
    8 months ago

    Another goal should be to increase the number of unions throughout the economy (not just auto industry). Including white collar brothers and sisters.

      • AntiOutsideAktion [he/him]
        ·
        8 months ago

        That could be read as somewhat cynically including members who won't stay members long enough to rise into any leadership positions.

      • somename [she/her]
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        It's been a struggle to fight off the business union shitters scattered around union leadership. In ours, we had some rather nasty intra-union conflict in the recent strike we did. I'm glad we got Shawn Fain elected though. There was a pretty big institutional push against him where I'm at, but we managed to organize past it.