Chicago Mayor Issues Defiant Call For A General Strike

https://lemmy.world/post/37589798

Chicago Mayor Issues Defiant Call For A General Strike - Lemmy.World

Lemmy

I’m dubious that a general strike is possible in the US. All of the other countries that have had massive strikes affecting large chunks of the market were driven by large unions. Our unions don’t have that sort of sway and they rarely help others to maximize their diminishing bargaining power with the ongoing degradation of workers rights. Importantly this also happens on the supply side, the consumer side will just buy it tomorrow instead usually. A day of no productivity has much bigger consequences.

That being said, I’ll definitely participate.

The article says that a 1947 law makes it almost impossible for unions to organize a general strike.

Anything that would cause real economic damage and put power back in the hands of workers will be treated as “illegal” regardless of what the books say. But what could they realistically do, arrest everyone in their homes who didn’t go to work that day?

Wildcat strikes are “illegal” in the sense that your employer is allowed to retaliate with firing you or docking pay if you do so. I highly doubt someone’s going to prison for not showing up at a regular job.

But what could they realistically do, arrest everyone in their homes who didn’t go to work that day?

Considering that the US has the highest incarcerated population in the world, it’s not like they aren’t trying to do this very thing.