General Strike
Strikes and boycotts are effective when they have sufficient participation. A general strike is a tall order in a country as big as ours, but we’re building our skills, communication and understanding with more targeted actions.
To grow from here, we need to organize. Start by signing the generalstrike.us pledgecard.
How to do it:
Effective economic resistance takes extensive organizing and preparation. People don’t all wake up one morning and decide not to go to work. Plans are implemented for mutual aid, transportation, and communication. Each time we’re successful, we build skills and momentum. Companies pay attention to who follows through — that used to be the right, but now it’s us. Disney folded in days.
Strikes and boycotts are highly coordinated complex organizational tasks. Planning is best left to people with experience, but the way you get experience is by joining the movement. If a General Strike feels like your “lane” here are some ways to get started:
- Participate. The most basic thing you can do is sign a strike card, and commit to participating when the strike-targets are hit.
- Educate yourself. Read up on the history of successful strikes, like the Birmingham Bus Boycott, or the Icelandic Women’s Strike.
- Join any union you’re eligible for, or follow local union news and show up to support striking workers. Learn who your local organizers are and lend a hand.
- Join any group focused on economic pressure. Tesla Takedown organized the Sinclair Sucks! protests in Seattle. They had the skills and network, and pivoted to meet the moment.
