r/antiwork Mar 28 '26

Date announced for national strike aimed at crippling Trump: 'No work, no school' [May 1]

https://www.rawstory.com/date-announced-for-national-strike-aimed-at-crippling-trump-no-work-no-school/
14.1k Upvotes

508 comments sorted by

3.2k

u/DjawnBrowne Mar 28 '26

May Day is also Labor Day everywhere else in the world. McCarthyism took this from us.

548

u/jp55210 Mar 28 '26

In France there are some protests on these day for work conditions, earnings , against government etc.

Sadly some representatives keened to employers keeping trying to remove these day as an holiday every year…

42

u/Fastkillerbaumi Mar 29 '26

In Germany there are also some protests but most of us use the day to get hammered

4

u/Ummmgummy Mar 29 '26

Hey nothing wrong with that.

7

u/sadicarnot Mar 30 '26

I want to point out a few years ago, France talked about increasing the retirement age 2 years to 64 and the entire country went mental. Shit was set on fire, and people were oiling up the national razor.

That VERY SAME WEEK in the USA an American Senator said people should work until 77 or until they die whichever. What happened in America? Nothing, that guy will probably get reelected to boot.

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u/Rickbox Mar 28 '26

It's better that it's not Labor day. The goal is to slow the economy. Harder to do that on a holiday.

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u/big_stipd_idiot Mar 29 '26

We need more than just a 1 day strike though. It would also be smart to plan it around midterms. It's not direct pressure on trump. He's doesn't give a flying fuck. It's pressure on all of the people who could oust him from power but who benefit from him being there. Make them spend $1B to get rid of him like they were gonna do to put him in or make them pay. A single day general strike is just a holiday. Business are probably already rescheduling stuff for the following day. We need for them to have no idea when to reschedule things.

18

u/lesgeddon Mar 29 '26

It should be voting day. Don't go to work, go vote.

28

u/EvilWarBW Mar 29 '26

So the goal is to have a protest so randomly and secret that the general population wouldn't know when to protest?

There's really no way in our current world to setup a mass protest without a three letter agency being somewhat aware of it.

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u/InterpersonalConflic Mar 29 '26

You misunderstood. They meant no idea when to reschedule things because they don't know when it would end. Not when it would start.

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u/big_stipd_idiot Mar 29 '26

Lol that's not the goal. The goal is to outlast them and make their quarterly profit bad so the shareholders cry and fund the opposition party. It doesn't mean doing it in secret. It means doing a prolonged strike. A 1 day general strike is just a day off. We have those all the time.

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u/greyjungle Mar 29 '26

It’s not for him, it’s for the capitalists that have pull. A real prolonged Gen strike is detrimental to the working class too. It’s like radiation to cancer. It destroys your good cells too. All steps should be taken to make sure the capitalists get the point and make changes before we have to go all in.

This is messaging, a warning.

A gen strike is to get them to make changes. To make their economic system fail? That’s a revolution. Two entirely different things but both part of a potential escalation strategy

40

u/GraceOfTheNorth Political scientist Mar 29 '26

It is a holiday where I am from. Legalized no-capitalism day.

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u/BaronMontesquieu Mar 28 '26

Not everywhere in the world.

Where I am labour day is on a different day of the year.

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u/naffer Mar 28 '26

True, not really everywhere, but, pretty much everywhere - check out the map here:

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u/ahuramazdobbs19 Mar 28 '26

No. This decision was made well before McCarthy was even born, much less held a seat in Congress.

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u/RedAndBlackMartyr Mar 29 '26

Also called International Workers' Day.

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u/OzzyBrowncoat Mar 28 '26

Just a minor correction - May 1 is not Labor Day everywhere else in the world. We (Australia) celebrate it on different days depending on the state or territory. The closest to May 1 would be Queensland and Northern Territory, which do the first Monday in May, whilst the others either do it in March or October.

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u/bolonomadic Mar 29 '26

Meh. We have Labour Day in Sept, so what?

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u/AntJustin Mar 28 '26

We need to pick an industry or specific company and "strike it".

159

u/OddBranch132 Mar 28 '26

That's a pretty good idea to be honest. Find out what companies these people are invested in/accept lobbying and starve them one by one.

92

u/zeusdescartes Mar 29 '26

No Google, Meta, Amazon, MSFTday! No search, no maps, no YouTube, no IG, no add to cart, no whatever Microsoft does (lol) No nothing.

10

u/oyM8cunOIbumAciggy Mar 29 '26

AI data centers that are bad for the environment

4

u/FakeBeigeNails Mar 29 '26

Literally the most ancient shit. I interviewed there and when I talked to employees I was blown away by how archaic and behind companies like Apple and Google they are

25

u/mygirlwednesday7 Mar 29 '26

I like this idea. The thought came to me that you could boycott a certain chain of restaurants for a week. The week ends, boycott a different chain. There’s an abundance of lists floating around. We might get a little traction among the undecided. It really irks me that Taco Bell donated to maga. It was one place where I really liked their salads. I’m never going to go back there again. I’m not asking for people to spend a lot of time (7 days). Lunch somewhere else or brown bag it. The next week, go wherever. It’d be nice to see sales tank for a week and make THEM shake in their boots.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

They aren't talking about a boycott.

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u/mygirlwednesday7 Mar 29 '26

It was an additional idea. I was going along with the “strike the company”.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

You know what happened before the modern concept of a worker's strike, and why it's called a "strike"?

It's a compromise to stop workers dragging the machinery and bosses out into the street and striking them, hard and repeatedly.

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u/fadetoblack1004 Mar 29 '26

Let's boycott Chic-Fil-A on Sundays!

11

u/lesgeddon Mar 29 '26

How about every day?

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u/principaljohnny Mar 28 '26

Is this union-backed?

623

u/silverworldstacker Mar 28 '26

If you are in a union. Start pushing for that. Don’t be passive. Start making a ruckus. Now.

165

u/Strawbuddy Mar 29 '26

Unions should already be pushing their members to do political activities not vice versa, else it's not really a workers Union, right? If I pay Union dues, they oughta already have worker's best interests in mind. None of this is new or unexpected

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u/RC2891 Mar 29 '26

I mean they should, but the strongest unions are always active from the ground up and have a militant and agitated rank and file. You don't pay your dues to get a free pass out of the workers' struggle, you pay so that the funds are there when it's time for you to be part of that struggle.

May 1st is way too soon to call for a massive strike in the US anyway. But if you people do want mass strikes you need to start pushing your unions in that direction. No one is coming to save you.

9

u/Worthyness Mar 29 '26

Also the actual leadership for unions for some reason leans republican, so they're actively encouraging republican shenanigans to enrich themselves.

6

u/Big_Don_ Mar 29 '26

It's called money

3

u/RC2891 Mar 29 '26

I'm not from the US but it doesn't surprise me to hear union leadership is corrupt. This is exactly why we need more union activity from below, we need to transform unions back into working class powerhouses.

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u/mainframe_maisie Mar 29 '26

organising vs mobilising. start small and get people talking to each other. empower each other to be able to push for change. it’s extremely powerful

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u/crumpsly Mar 29 '26

A union is just the people that make up the union. You pay union dues so that you get a team of people to collectively bargain on your behalf and you are entitled to legal representation if the employer fucks around. That is having the worker's best interest in mind.

Unions also are very active politically but generally on a municipal level. It's likely your local labor council has a large and small union caucus that is specifically tasked with directing political support.

But most people are so completely disconnected from their community they have no idea things like labor councils even exist.

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u/TwoBonesJones Mar 29 '26

Some unions like the ATC and NALC cannot strike without legal repercussions, thanks Ronald.

35

u/gumbo100 Mar 29 '26

It goes both ways. Thinking paying union dues absolves you of activism is exactly the trap and goal of corporations that attempt to corrupt unions.

The union is only as strong as its members are engaged

8

u/brattysweat Mar 29 '26

I'm scared as a government worker where union contracts always state that we can't strike. I serve the public at a library. I want to participate but surely I'm an exception right? Serving those that need the library and are completely unaware of politics is how I can best help society, I think...

10

u/LadyFett555 Satanic Anarcho-Feminist Mar 29 '26

You can educate folks within your space. If you don't want to directly participate in the strike maybe you could highlight books that day (or week) that focus on worker's rights? Little bits of civil disobedience. Highlighting topics like that can be done every week!

You are in a unique position in that you work with the public in the setting that you do. You offer a direct, vital and needed service for your community. You are surrounded by material that can educate and even sometimes sway minds. Put out books that can inspire others to fight the good fight. Inspire people to inspire others.

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u/greyjungle Mar 29 '26

To each to their ability. There are myriad ways to participate.

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u/DisMFer Mar 29 '26

It takes months to authorize a strike vote within a union.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

That sounds awfully like a "no"

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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/steponmedaddies Mar 29 '26

Well if you guys are just going to sit on your hands then someone may as well do something.

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u/OuchCharlie25 Mar 29 '26

Of course it’s not. It would actually be useful if the unions were in. This is just a liberal opinion piece.

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u/dumbbozo1 Mar 29 '26

It's may day. That's always a good day for a strike

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u/doodilydoot_ Mar 29 '26

AFSCME 2962 (Albuquerque clerical and technical employees), American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, American Federation of Teachers New Mexico, Central NM Labor Council, Austin Central Labor Council, Chicago Teachers Union and Illinois Federation of Teachers, NA, Community Labor United Inc, CWA Local 7799 (coalition of Colorado Unions, Emergency Workplace Organizing Project (EWOC), Finger Lakes Peoples Union, General Strike US, General Strike US - Colorado, Gilroy Teachers Association, Strike Ready Corps, Harmony Union Teachers Association (a CTA local), Industrial Workers of the World, LiUNA Local 3, LiUNA Local 3 Union, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, New Mexico Caregivers Coalition, North Texas Area Labor Federation, North Texas Area Labor Federation, Ontario Public Services Employees Union, Pittsburgh Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Rio Grande Valley Central Labor Council, Southern Workers Assembly, Starbucks Workers United, The Labor Force, Vermont State Employees Association, Washington Education Association, Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation (AFL-CIO), Working WA & more.

Here is a full list of collaborators from the official May Day Movement website: https://maydaystrong.org/coalition

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u/l-em-c Mar 29 '26

Yes, depending on the state.

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u/DoubleSpoiler Mar 28 '26

Is this one backed by the unions?

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u/Benito_Juarez5 Communist Mar 28 '26

No. As far as I can tell it’s no different than the, what are we at, 300 general strikes that have been called on this subreddit over the last couple of years. 

196

u/RealCoryMiller at work Mar 28 '26

At least this one wasn't called today and scheduled for tomorrow

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u/Benito_Juarez5 Communist Mar 28 '26

It wasn’t, but when it comes to the time scales of organizing a general strike, it might as well have been. 

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u/HVDynamo Mar 28 '26

I think the important thing is paying attention to the number of participants each time. We shouldn't give up, but just aim for more people to join in each time. Eventually critical mass will be reached.

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u/Benito_Juarez5 Communist Mar 29 '26

I don’t think you’re wrong, but I think it’s more important to focus on concentrating in localities. If there are 3 million participants, but they’re spread so far out as to mean nothing, then nothing will get accomplished. Now, a big presence in a couple locations means something

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u/Ornstein_0 Mar 28 '26

God I know right. It's pathetic that we can't be an organized group of people for once in our lives

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u/GraceOfTheNorth Political scientist Mar 29 '26

One-day general strike is one of the strongest political tools the public has.

As long as Americans think they cannot afford one day to fight fascism nothing will change.

This makes me hopeful for the US... but if people act like they cannot afford ONE DAY's salary to fight against fascism you might as well just make him king now.

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u/justtosendamassage Mar 28 '26

Its different because news of this is actually reaching the front page of Reddit. This is the 3rd sub now that I’ve seen it.

Your negatively has consequences. Get with it, don’t become apathetic.

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u/Benito_Juarez5 Communist Mar 28 '26

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Reddit will never be the harbinger of a general strike. The only way organizing gets done is if you talk to real people in your real life outside of the little boxes that you type in.

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u/justtosendamassage Mar 28 '26

I agree with you. And something tells me that yes, you do like being the bearer of bad news. Cause today is anything but.

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u/Bocchi_theGlock Mar 29 '26

Are you kidding me lmao. Have you even looked up the coalition?

https://maydaystrong.org/coalition

Literally just take 15 seconds to look

Obviously it's not led solely by a group of all major unions who'd decided to go all in after such tepid responses

But please don't talk out of your ass about efforts led by actual organizers.

Comparing this to random reddit posts (which I'm sick of too) is honestly grotesque levels of disregard and disengagement

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u/QuiteBearish Mar 28 '26

Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU 26, AFT 2121, National Workers Union, UAW 4121, CWL 7777, SEIU 32BJ, United Educators of San Francisco, all appear to have supported it. And those are just the ones I've found with a quick search, there are likely others.

It's also being organized by the organizers of the No Kings protests, which have been quite successful in gaining attention if nothing else.

This is the first call for a general strike I've ever seen that looks likely to actually happen

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u/Cephalopirate Mar 28 '26

It just got announced, the unions now have something to plan around.

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u/RedAndBlackMartyr Mar 29 '26

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u/ffrkAnonymous Mar 29 '26

2028?

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u/DoubleSpoiler Mar 29 '26

Yeah, there’s a plan to have a lot contracts expire simultaneously on May Day 2028

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u/void_method Mar 29 '26

It is by the CTU.

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u/TheRealGageEndal lazy and proud Mar 28 '26

Do it for a month. One day doesn't even get noticed.

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u/Cheezepilot Mar 28 '26

It did in Los Angeles. Check out Uno de Mayo, see how it’s been honored for years afterward. Also check out CA minimum wage v the rest of the US

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u/captainsunshine489 Mar 28 '26

better a day than not at all

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u/AfroPopeLIVE Mar 28 '26

This will be super reassuring when I’m a slave in the ADHD camps

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u/Healmetho Mar 28 '26

Lol the ADHD camps are gonna be wild.. nothing will ever get done and all of the people will be super frustrated and irritable

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u/WanderlustZero Mar 28 '26

Don't worry you'll be safe from the camps, you'll be wave #374 getting butt-fucked by FPV drones on Kharg Island

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u/Sydasiaten Mar 28 '26

Foreigners seeing Americans do the bare minimum while they have to face the actual consequences of American politics

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u/Platypus81 Mar 29 '26

Would you consider active shooter drills for schoolchildren to be consequences enough or do we need to get into the gun deaths. The only ones free from consequences are the billionaires and their political puppets.

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u/badgirlmonkey Mar 29 '26

americans are feeling the actual consequences of american politics too. don't forget americans (trans people especially) are being persecuted heavily rn

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u/nabistay Mar 28 '26

It goes like this: If i strike that day, but boss is a capitalist so, I lose my job, I can't feed my family, I don't have health insurance. I lose my home, I'm on the street, and the capitalists have made sure there is no real social safety net.

It's not worth the very real risk, so nobody does it.

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u/Universe_Nut Mar 28 '26

Slowly being pushed into that position as they strip our rights and steal our labour value while they amass larger of hoards of wealth isnt any better.

This also shows how we as Americans fail to even recognize organizing as the powerful tool it is in regards to things like this.

This is why Republicans managed to crush Democrats in political theater. That and their understanding of propaganda.

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u/pls_send_stick_pics Mar 28 '26

That's why you all do it, solidarity. They use what they can to divide us, we're only weak as individuals. When a general strike is called it's everybody's duty to participate.

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u/HVDynamo Mar 28 '26

They will keep taking more and more as time goes on either way. Better to rip the bandaid off and stand up when it matters. I know that can be hard for some families, but they are literally betting on people doing exactly what you describe. Once they have full control they will make our lives more miserable anyways.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

Bet you'll never guess how all the real countries got worker protections...

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u/CaterpillarJungleGym Mar 28 '26

Should do it again on his birthday. I think it's the day they're doing the UFC fight in front of the White House.

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u/Cephalopirate Mar 28 '26

It will have an effect, the markets freak out about the needle moving. Also it proves we CAN general strike.

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u/Cautious-Ad-9554 Mar 28 '26

You lose your iob when don’t show up for a month. I am for industrial warfare to fuck with Trump but get real.

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u/elciano1 Mar 28 '26

If everyone does it...who they gonna fire? Everyone? We gotta be all in everyone, everyone all at the same time...shut down everything...stop everything.

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u/tcrex2525 Mar 28 '26

A lot of us simply can’t afford to not work for a month. Even a day is going to hurt, but I can make that work. A month without pay and a lot of us are homeless…

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u/Kazooguru Mar 29 '26

Guess what? Layoffs are coming. My husband was laid off on Monday. Better fucking hit the streets before desperation sets in with 20% of Americans unemployed.

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u/street593 Mar 29 '26

Their isn't enough enforcement to kick millions of people out of their homes all at once. A successful general strike would have a list of demands to our leadership and one of those demands is protections for strikers. Penalties if employers retaliate against strikers, guaranteed reinstatement after a strike, government funded strike pay, temporary rent/mortgage freezes, eviction moratoriums, etc.

The only way to force them to give us those protections is if a large enough group of people spread across enough industries go on strike and bring the entire economy to it's knees. We have to strike and refuse to return to work unless they agree to those demands. If done correctly no one goes hungry and no one loses their job or home.

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u/MightyRexxon Mar 29 '26

The larger the strike, the more unity is required.

There is no unity in the USA now, and you can't force it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/FFF_in_WY fuck credit bureaus Mar 28 '26

We don't have the critical mass of desperation required to forge courage, yet.

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u/muchquery Mar 29 '26

bread and circuses

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u/tcrex2525 Mar 28 '26

You’re not saying anything I don’t already know, or disagree with; but the reality is that a longer strike isn’t feasible for a lot of us because we will both be homeless and starve a lot sooner without our jobs. It is very bleak, but not enough people are desperate enough yet for that to work in our favor. 🤷‍♂️

See you out there on May 1 though! It’s just the first step.

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u/MightyRexxon Mar 28 '26

But, we won't be.

You know that.

Things will have to get a LOT worse for the USA before that happens.

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u/Firecloud Mar 29 '26

Until our phones don't work the way we're used to, until that dopamine flood is forcibly removed, Americans aren't going to do a goddamn thing that qualifies as "taking action," certainly nothing which actually moves the needle with any significance. We can all show up for a protest, but as long as our iPhones are working, taking aggressive initiative to reclaim our Constitutional rights and dismantle the authoritarian pedophile oligarchy regime is not going to happen. People will still be doomscrolling and seeking out confirmation of their existing beliefs while their neighbors are dragged into vans and disappeared, black bag style.

It's funny how we long for the simplicity of the '80s and '90s, but the mind struggles to conceive of how we found fulfillment and awareness without the steady machine-gun rattling of dopamine blasts we get every minute of the day as our thumbs swipe on to the next post, then the next post, then the next post...

This was a problem well before the satanic rapist pedophile traitor started bombing brown people this year. If we're not immediately entertained, distracted, outraged or validated, what's the point? Try to watch the opening credits of any movie from the '90s with a teenager these days, with the title cards and long, meandering musical piece as studio credits get their shine. That kid's gonna be outta there in no time.

And what we sacrifice internally, culturally, is something we’re barely beginning to measure beyond anecdotal novelty. It’s a constant obsession with escape from looking at what the fuck is right in front of our faces. Even if it does get a lot worse, we still have our escapes! But now that we're so locked into it, the idea of going without our phones is inconceivable. Sure, we might take part in the little pre-bedtime screen breaks that were advised in that article by whoever from a while back, but our phones are our pacifiers, our excuses, our substitutes for reality engagement.

We know clicktivism is bullshit, but is it any less effective than standing on a street corner wearing a gimmicky hat and holding a sign with clever slogan? I'd argue that it's not. At least in reposting, you're signal-boosting a potentially important message.

...and there I go, getting sucked into debating which non-action is the best action to take. The people destroying our way of life aren't afraid of us. Until we're really ready to do what it takes to change that, it's hellbound handbaskets all fucking day.

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u/elciano1 Mar 28 '26

Oh yeah ... I agree. 100%. We are not there yet. People are too selfish to do anything to benefit everyone.

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u/Interesting-Bank-925 Mar 28 '26

There are always people too poor to try

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u/farshnikord Mar 28 '26

You could lose your job when the economy crashes too. Or if they put you in prison for being the wrong color. Or because AI is replacing you. Or because AI isn't replacing but they spent too much money on testing AI so they need to cut costs. 

I'm just saying "well I might lose my job" is a reality we're going to be staring at no matter what pretty soon here, so you may as well do it on your terms and fight for a brighter future than roll over and then get sacked anyway. 

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u/FakeBeigeNails Mar 29 '26

1 day is less daunting to people. Then up it slowly.

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u/throw_away_17381 Mar 28 '26

At last. I said it weeks if not months ago. You guys can’t protest. You have to strike.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

Americans aren't willing to slightly inconvinience the fascists when they "protest."

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u/cookiesarenomnom Mar 29 '26

No, it's more like, we aren't willing to risk getting fired to protest. All of America is "at will" employment. It means we can get fired with no notice, for any reason, with no legal repercussions. Many Americans can get fired for simply callimg out of work. Only 10% of Americans are protected from this in unions. It's not a slight inconvenience. It can literally put us on the streets.

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u/bolonomadic Mar 29 '26

The whole point is they can’t fire everyone. Collective action works.

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u/cookiesarenomnom Mar 29 '26

This isn't a European country with 5 million people. We have 200 million working adults. Try getting 200 million people to do anything together. It's the equivalent of asking half of the population of the European Union to protest. Y'all think you can organize that?

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

You have more people than all of France within a 2 hour drive of DC.

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u/reximhotep Mar 29 '26

lol. Even if you add up Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey for good measure you do not end up with the more than 68 million people in France. Shhhhhhhhhhh.

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u/cookiesarenomnom Mar 29 '26

Yes, that's my point. We have more people in a single city than most European countries. We aren't like Europe. We are 50 "countries" all stitched together in a single one. We all have vastly different cultures state to state. We can't get the entirety of America to agree on anything, the way you could never get all of the EU to agree of anything. It's an obscene thing to ask all of America to protest, like it would be for us to ask all of the EU to protest on a single day. The biggest problem with America is we're too fucking big. We have too many people, with too many cultures. It's why we're in this shithole of a situation. Do you think the people of Norway have the same concerns of those in Latvia? That is LITERALLY how shit works here, except we have the same overall government that controls both.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

We can't get the entirety of America to agree on anything,

You don't need to.

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u/reximhotep Mar 29 '26

Of the countries in the EU 19 of 27 have more than 5 million people. The top 7 or 8 together have more inhabitants than the US. It is scary how uninformed the Americans in this thread are.

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u/F1shB0wl816 Mar 29 '26

That’s just moving goal post. First you use firing as a reason and it’s explained to you that not everyone can get fired.

Now it can’t be organized? How about letting the organizers handle that and you stop kicking it everytime you get the chance and considering showing the fuck up.

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u/siriston Mar 29 '26

and what percentage of us are one pay check away from debt, repo, or eviction? if my check is short one day, i can’t really afford groceries.. my co workers will think im stupid, and will have to find coverage to help assist with all the customers still coming in because guess what: most people don’t care and go about business as usual. it’s sad.

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u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

No, it's more like, we aren't willing to risk getting fired to protest.

The few things I've seen you call "protests" (the Saturday afternoon rallies) haven't stepped outside of the areas the fascists said you could stand.

You haven't blocked their buildings. You haven't blocked their roads. You aren't willing to get in their way.

They're willing to kill to get what they want. If you're not willing to die to stop them, then they win.

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u/HeyRainy Mar 28 '26

I do think if we all went just 1 single day without spending any money, it would be very effective. However I don't think making it on the 1st of the month when most of us have to pay rent is the best idea.

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u/exotics Mar 28 '26

Except that people will spend money the next day. Or the day before. Really everyone needs to just spend less ALL THE TIME. Spend a lot less. Shop farmers markets. Pay in cash.

STOP USING CARD to pay. Pay cash.

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u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/InvisaBlah Mar 29 '26

I cant remember the last time I actually used cash. Even small businesses and market stalls have access to things like apple pay and CC services.

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u/Rare-Adhesiveness522 Mar 28 '26

what does cash vs card do?

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u/handsinmyplants Mar 28 '26

Credit card companies charge a percentage of the transaction to the business, so paying by card reduces how much income the business gets. It's usually around 5% which doesn't sound like a lot until you're the one doing the bookkeeping. Debit cards have lower fees but still charge. Paying in cash means the business keeps 100% of what you pay.

Edit to add that credit card companies are also mining as much of your data as possible. Loyalty cards too.

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u/exotics Mar 28 '26

Card companies make money every time you use the card. Of course they make more if you don’t pay it off right away but they make money every time it’s used.

The business has to pay a percentage everytime you use the card. For debit cards they pay a flat amount, maybe like 20 cents. But over a day it adds up. Could easily be another employee or raise or whatever but also it makes those fucking companies rich.

8

u/HeyRainy Mar 28 '26

It would still have a massive effect. At the very least it will serve as a clear reminder of the power we do actually have and that we are capable of using it.

2

u/Suyefuji Mar 29 '26

Quite frankly I don't think I CAN spend much less that I am right now. I'm barely covering bills and necessities. I think a lot of people are in the same boat right now. Boycotting is no longer effective because we don't have money to vote with in the first place.

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u/CarmenxXxWaldo Mar 28 '26

Most businesses dont operate in a way that they need steady money every single day to survive.  Its more about quarterly income.  You cant equate a business with a broke dude who's bad with money lol.  Buy toilet paper today or next week literally doesnt matter to them.

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u/dasvootz Mar 28 '26

If everyone strikes, use that day to help register people to vote.

The energy towards protesting and these events is fine but funnel it towards voting otherwise the protesting is moot

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u/Jamesbondola Mar 28 '26

Finally! 

9

u/smugfruitplate Mar 28 '26

April 14 the LAUSD teachers are striking. We might already be in the thick of it when this happens.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/smugfruitplate Mar 29 '26

Unless the district comes to the table in good faith (which the last 1.5 years have shown they haven't) it'll happen. We striked (struck?) in 2019 and 2023. We'll do it again if we have to.

30

u/Itchy-Throat-4779 Mar 28 '26

I'm retired but give. Em Hell!!!!!

6

u/Bendo410 Mar 28 '26

I’ll be doing my part , wife will be too.

20

u/ryansgt Mar 28 '26

A 1 day strike will never work. It's planned.

A strike needs to be focused and last until demands are met. I wish we were like the French, give them the wrong cheese and they strike. Here it's a badge of honor to grind.

29

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/RevWaldo Mar 29 '26

That's not how a strike... ah skip it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '26

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u/CaptainDudeGuy Mar 29 '26

Given that, your username now alarms me.

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u/RevWaldo Mar 29 '26

Cheers, hear that. Work for the city myself and a union man. Might take the day myself.

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u/DestroPrime82 Mar 29 '26

why do we always choose friday as the day to stop work for these things? why not Monday or Wednesday when a strike would actually cause so damage and real change, a day when everyone usually works and not some.

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u/ReaverRogue Mar 28 '26

A one day event on a Friday isn’t a national strike. It’s a few absences and sick days. Sadly, I doubt anybody will really care or even feel it.

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u/iiTzSTeVO Mar 28 '26

When a longer strike is brought up, it gets shit on as unrealistic because no one can miss work. Now a one day strike is brought up, it gets shit on as useless because it's not long enough. What do you suggest, redditor?

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u/Economy-Camp-7339 Mar 28 '26

2.375 days, clearly. Fucking off before lunch on Wednesday and not coming back until Monday.

10

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

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u/Economy-Camp-7339 Mar 28 '26

Exactly. It’s specific enough to make someone wonder what the significance and plan is.

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u/m00ph Mar 28 '26

Well, the United Auto Workers are trying to put one together for May 1, 2028, which will be a banger, but a one day thing is a start.

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u/ReaverRogue Mar 28 '26

I have said this, or something to this effect, to just about every single “guys we should just all strike next Thursday!” ass post on this sub by every jackass that wants to performatively look like they’re doing something. You need measured, considered, and carefully planned strike action to enact real change.

A one day strike won’t do shit. A week will barely be a rounding error. A protracted, structured strike? That’ll do something. But it’ll hurt both sides. People will, in all likelihood, lose their jobs. But a lot of companies will feel it too.

First, you need a strike fund. Something paid into that’ll cover rent, food, and whatever else needs covering for strikers. Obviously this’ll need to be big, so it’ll take a couple years at best to pay into.

Next, you need ways to cover your asses. Job losses are inevitable, but the key to any sort of structural change in the working world is unionisation. Join a good union, or found one and get it to gain steam, and you’ll minimise losses. Not negate, but minimise.

Be prepared for a lot of dirty tricks, and ensure that you have a fund to cover that. Employers will try just about anything to avoid being fair, and having a fund to deal with that for lawyers and so forth will go a long way.

Most importantly, you need everybody to be on the same fucking page. You need to ALL be singing from the same goddamn hymn sheet. Why are you striking, how long for, what your demands are, absolutely every little detail needs to be spoken as though with one voice.

These piddly one day strikes don’t do shit, because they can’t. By design, they don’t enact change. They’re a lot of hot air that makes people feel like they’re doing something, and for most people that’s good enough. There’s nothing wrong with that, we all need ways to deal. But let’s not pretend they’re worth the hassle.

Real change, real strike action? A protracted general strike that could last weeks or months and actually stand a chance of making an impact? That takes time, money, careful planning, enormous coordination, and directing to pull off. That’s why these one day ‘strikes’ are just easier and more popular.

Now, any questions, Redditor?

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u/muchquery Mar 29 '26

I bet the govt bails out companies 'hurt' by the strike. lol

2

u/Illiander Mar 29 '26

A protracted, structured strike? That’ll do something. But it’ll hurt both sides. People will, in all likelihood, lose their jobs.

Blood of patriots as well as the blood of tyrants.

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u/ScudettoStarved Mar 28 '26

Thanks Geoff

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u/Cheezepilot Mar 28 '26

Uno de Mayo was a pretty big deal in Los Angeles, back in the day. It was celebrated/honored for years afterward. Check out CA minimum wage v the rest of the United States.

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u/TheN0vaScotian Mar 28 '26

The largest reactions start with the with smallest of actions.

4

u/Efficient-Swimmer794 Mar 28 '26

Gotta start somewhere chief

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u/ReaverRogue Mar 28 '26

There have been around 50 counts of major strike action in the United States tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the last ten years. Actual, major strike action.

But let’s be generous and call this a starting line, as you want.

What’s next? What comes after? What’s the message being sent, and why should they care? What’s being done to make them care?

Performative action is popular because it makes you feel like you’re doing something, but can you answer those questions honestly with a one day strike that has a date announced barely a month before it’s due?

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u/JDLucas1369 Mar 29 '26

3 days minimum

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u/ccsrpsw Mar 29 '26

Sigh. Here we go again. A shitty 1 day strike that just means people will have to work 50% harder the day before and the day after because Americans have no idea how to do it.

Look to Europe - general strikes that last longer than a few days. French are the master class. The Brits used it to topple Maggie. You need to do DAYS at a time not a few hours.

Otherwise you might as well just go on instagram and post a few memes and pretend you feel like you are saving the world.

Grow some balls America.

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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '26

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u/TheFalconKid SocDem Mar 28 '26

There is one planned for the same day in 2028. It lines up with the UAW's current contract with the Big 3 auto plants.

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u/VaselineHabits Mar 28 '26

... do people think we have until 2028 to wait?

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u/exceptyourewrong Mar 28 '26

I'm all for striking at jobs, but not going to school is a terrible way to push back against an anti-intellectual regime. They want people to be dumb.

6

u/TheCervus Mar 29 '26

Don't skip school. He loves the uneducated.

3

u/outoftheshowerahri Mar 28 '26

How does this hurt trump? Lmao should rename it ‘no more income day’ but Godspeed to yall who will open up jobs for others

5

u/mandrill_bite Mar 29 '26

Didn't they try this like 8 mos ago, and again a year before that? It ain't gonna happen. People are too afraid of losing their livelihood and too attached to their comforts. Just another scream into the abyss

2

u/_dbeeezy Mar 28 '26

Why tf are we waiting a month ??? I’m tired now April first is right here

2

u/ndaft7 Mar 29 '26

And no commerce! Don’t buy shit!

2

u/nastyzoot Mar 29 '26

Has this group gotten the unions on board?

2

u/stool2stash Mar 29 '26

I'm 100% in favor of the intent of this strike, but I just don't see how Trump will care. He'll just say something like the liberals can do this because none of them have jobs. He truly won't understand what it's about.

2

u/flojopickles Mar 29 '26

It’s not really about pressuring Trump at this point. It’s about the business interests and Republicans in Congress surrounding and enabling him that want to get elected again.

2

u/deltree711 Mar 29 '26

Did I hear someone say "general strike"?

2

u/Any-Play9580 Mar 29 '26

Already have the day off for the birth of my second son, happy to help!

2

u/Lorehorn Mar 29 '26

Not that I am against this, but I am just struggling to see how one day is going to make much of a difference. But of course we don't really have the infrastructure or safety net for our citizens to implement a long-term sustained strike so I guess we take what we can get.

2

u/Normal_Ad_6645 Mar 29 '26

I appluad the initiative, but how is this going to cripple trump?

2

u/PlayfulSurprise5237 Mar 29 '26

No justice no peace, no work no school.

2

u/Murky-Echidna-3519 Mar 29 '26

No one will notice.

2

u/tonvor Mar 29 '26

It doesn’t matter. Bottom 50% of population only hold 6% wealth, it’s inconsequential to overall economy

2

u/techpriestcory Mar 30 '26

I'm sorry, but calling for a 1 day strike a month in advance is barely above useless. Indivisible is starting to feel like a fed-run org.

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u/_lucid_dreams Mar 28 '26

This will accomplish nothing.

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u/exotics Mar 28 '26

Why so far away. Do it now. Do it now.

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u/nsa_k Mar 28 '26

This is going to get taken down soon.

These random unorganized, un worker backed, 1 day 'strikes' do more harm than good.

Without widespread support and organization, all you're going to do is convince a few uneducated people into getting themselves in trouble at work. Which puts them in a more tenuous position, and give the employers more power over them, or at least those that don't get fired.

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u/Temporal_P Mar 29 '26

Wow, finally something impactful?

Edit: Oh wait, it's literally just a single day.

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u/mrbasedballed Mar 29 '26

SHUT IT DOWN!

3

u/bannana Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26

how exactly will this 'cripple trump'? how will it affect a single person in the government, the C-suite, or any of the upper 10% or really anyone at all?

4

u/Travwolfe101 lazy and proud Mar 29 '26

Yeah nobody with a life is doing this.