I keep seeing articles about the tech sector billionaires going mask off. I remember there being rumblings of a tech sector union. Also in the last 4 years there have been some ground gained for unions in the service sector too.
Wages are suppressed and with the looming tarrifs goods will be more expensive. Also anyone earning under 300k is going to see an increase in taxes with the proposed tax structure.
It seems around 30% of the population are really excited about Trump, 1% of that are funding efforts to support his platform. So what do the other 70% do? Do they strike?
The first hurdle is getting over the fact that the US is huge and fragmented. Organizing a general strike so vast would be difficult, especially once you consider that any company, big or small, will have bootlickers, not just employers, that will actively work against you. Not a chance you could get more than 10% of the population on board. But, let’s say you get that far. Now you have the do everything “legally.”
Legally protesting is getting harder and harder to do. You have to strike in the right place, at the right time, in the right manner. Even then there’s a chance you get shut down with little ability for legal recourse without immense resources. Many protestors will likely end up in prison and many more will lose their jobs and probably homes. Trust me, the employers won’t care. There are thousands of applicants ready to take their place. But, if you can keep it going even after that, what happens next?
You might get a few “peace talks” that result in a 3-5% bump in wages, a stipend for childcare, and free coffee. Maybe some industries get a few small protections. There’s too much money from businesses flowing into Congress for anything more to happen.
And that’s that! You end up with wages that barely keep up with inflation, lots of people losing their jobs and homes, and most assuredly a more active and higher funded militarized police force than ever.
The days of American workers being able to make real change happen through striking are just gone.
10%
You just wrote off 35 million people.
Legality should not be a question. No way we are going to mind a system that is fucking us over at every corner.
The point isn’t some grand negotiation. It’s to hit them where it hurts. If you pull it off, you’ve already won. You just showed them 35 million people ready to act.
You’re delusional.
I hope you’re right.
Doesn’t matter. Just like with RCV or anything that actually threatens the oligarchy it gets shouted down before it can ever grow. You would think on a site like lemmy people might find solidarity with other working class people but end of the day it’s much more fun to trample someone elses garden bed then it is to go plant your own tree.