this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2023
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Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

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[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I know you seemed to have gotten the gist for why it's been announced so far out, but there's some other things at play here.

  1. Actual general strikes are illegal under the Taft-Hartley act
  2. US unions generally engage in contract negotiations at different times, and set the specific date the contract expires during the negotiation
  3. In a country of 333 million people, a general strike will take A LOT of planning. Even if only 10% of the country went on strike, it would easily be the largest strike in world history. The entire economy will stop and people will need to be taken care of.
[–] unfreeradical@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Even if only 10% of the country went on strike, it would easily be the largest strike in world history. The entire economy will stop and people will need to be taken care of.

I am not brash enough to assert any prediction, but such an event as you describe would be momentus, of coordinating protection and distribution on so massive a scale, completely alternative to the systems of the establishment. A successful demonstration of such kind would be transformative in our culture, producing an unprecedented expansion of collectively perceived horizons of possibility for the future.

[–] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Absolutely! A strike that large could result in a syndicalist revolution. Laying the groundwork to support that many people in a socialist framework would be an incredible feat, comparable to the Paris commune within that historical context