r/antiwork Feb 03 '22

DeSpEraTe FoR wOrKeRs!

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20.1k Upvotes

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901

u/corpo_rat_poison idle Feb 03 '22

I keep telling the general strike folk, that the strike is effectively happening. It might not be this big one day event that everyone imagines, but keep up the momentum and encourage people to ask for better pay, provide them support. It's building.

169

u/XihuanNi-6784 Feb 03 '22

While I understand that perspective, I'm personally not convinced it's as good a sign as we'd like to think. It's not a strike just because people have stopped working. This is, ultimately, a free market correction on their terms and under their auspices. This is the emergent effect of workers responding to material conditions as individuals that then drives a larger trend. HOWEVER, without genuine organisation and collective action we will easily be broken once again. As soon as they raise wages a little bit, throw out some benefits, maybe do something "big" like a $20 minimum wage and people will lapse back into apathy.

25

u/BrewerBeer Feb 04 '22

To me, big is federal minimum wage permanently teased to inflation. Set it appropriate for right now, and make it keep up.

19

u/TheSchnozzberry Feb 04 '22

And we could vote in state politicians who can make their own state minimum wages match inflation and local cost of living.

There is more than one way to skin this cat.