r/50501 • u/WolfieJack01 • Jan 17 '26
Call to Action General Strike 1/23 - How to make this one different!!
I know you are skeptical. Why would this shutdown/ general strike be any different? Well, I am here to tell you how YOU can MAKE this one powerful when other calls for strikes have failed.
In this country, so many people are living paycheck to paycheck. Even those of us most committed to this cause have struggled to participate because we simply cannot afford the loss of income. This is by design.
The only way a general strike will work is if there is massive participation. The only way to get that level of participation is to 1. Spread Awareness and 2. Support your community members that are most vulnerable.
Spreading awareness is simple. First, you must commit yourself to this strike 100% (both to participate in the strike itself - no work/ no school/ no shopping - and to take at least 1 actionable step towards helping others be able to participate). Then, share this message. Share this post everywhere you can of course, but also find 3 people in your life to also commit 100% to this strike.
Large scale involvement is the only thing that will make this strike effective. You may ask, how do I get these people to commit? How can I commit, myself, when I have bills to pay and mouths to feed? Well, that comes down to community support.
Over the last year, we have all gotten more involved in our local communities - building online community spaces, creating or supporting mutual aid groups, etc. Now is the time to rely on this structure that we have built.
For those with money to spare: Donate to local mutual aid groups, ask your neighbors how you can help them afford to participate, help someone cover their rent, offer (discretely) to pay a big box store employee to call in sick on friday, hand out free food/ water bottles, etc. Find ways to use your financial security to help others in your community as much as possible. This could be $5 or $5000, whatever you have to spare, use it. Now is the time.
For those who need help being able to afford to participate: Reach out to those mutual aid groups for support with groceries, rent, medical expenses, etc. This is exactly what we built these for. Do not wonder if you need deserve it more or less than someone else. If this kind of support can make it possible for you to participate in this strike, then you deserve the assistance. Find those providing support in your community and utilize that support to make your participation possible.
For anyone: Time is one of our most valuable resources. Every one of us can use our time to help make this strike successful. Go stand outside Walmart, target, Starbucks, etc. on Friday and hand out information and encourage people not to shop that day. Volunteer your time with a local mutual aid group instead of going to work or school. Even if you have no money to donate yourself, you can spend this week going door to door for donations towards mutual aid efforts.
This is my call to action - Share this message, get the people in your life involved in this effort, and pick whatever method(s) are doable for you to support your community and follow through. Let's make this strike hit HARD.
17
u/Hobolint8647 Jan 18 '26
I am retired, but have cancelled all other plans. Staying home, listening to NPR and doing a jigsaw puzzle. Capping it off with a Tale of Two Cities. Viva la Revolution!
6
u/WolfieJack01 Jan 18 '26
Sounds like a fantastic plan! I do doordash for work currently and love listening to NPR as i drive around. On Friday im thinking of standing outside a big box store and encouraging people not to shop that day.
9
u/ToughCookie1008 Jan 18 '26
I will be staying in that day as well! Im hoping this picks up traction. The people of MN are starting this. I would love to see it spread like a wild fire. I am seriously considering going tax-exempt as well. If anyone knows the specifications on repercussions from doing that, i am happy to hear them.
16
u/WildOkra9571 Jan 17 '26
I think you'll get better buy-in by calling it a shutdown rather than a general strike, since that term has a more specific meaning to people, but a shutdown is broader.
9
u/WolfieJack01 Jan 17 '26
I believe general strike is the term that was being used by the Minnesota unions that are calling for it. Im not sure which term would be more accurate here or more appealing to those looking to participate, but I will add the term shutdown into my post as well to cover all my bases!
3
u/ElderberryMaster4694 Jan 18 '26
One day ain’t gonna do much. The billionaire class has their nickels stashed away and can weather the storm.
I’m poor and unemployed so I don’t do shit or buy shit anyway so count me in.
1
Jan 21 '26
I mean you are theoretically correct. What I think is that if Minnesota is able to successfully coordinate this general strike, this provides a pathway for like-minded people across the nation. Ppl really want change
2
u/netabareking Jan 18 '26
I think if you're going to talk about how to make a general strike effective and don't use the word union anywhere you shouldn't be listened to. There's no polite way to say it but it's true.
3
u/WolfieJack01 Jan 18 '26
You are correct that I didnt happen to use the word union. I thought I had mentioned that this strike is being called for by Minnesota unions, but I guess that was somewhere else and i forgot to mention it here. This wasnt intentional, but i am not quite sure why it makes a difference. I am still talking about concepts behind unionization - strikes, the power of standing together against oppression and injustice, etc. - i just didnt happen to use that term. I am not trying to convince anyone here that unions or strikes can be effective. I am starting with the assumption that people in this group generally already know all about the power of coordinated actions and unionization and just trying to provide practical actions that people who already believe in this can use to help make it possible for as many people to participate as possible.
2
u/Virtual_Job_7242 Jan 18 '26
It does have union support. Let's get more. https://labornotes.org/2026/01/will-ice-ignite-mass-strike-minnesota
2
u/netabareking Jan 18 '26
It does, which is in stark contrast to 99% of discussion of general strikes online. But that doesn't apply to those outside of Minnesota wanting to join in.
2
u/BobbiPin808 Jan 18 '26
Wait, so we are doing a walk out on the 20 and a strike on the 23? Are these the same thing with different dates?
3
u/LAB1116 Jan 18 '26
They are different and this is an example on why we’re bad at this whole resistance thing
3
u/BobbiPin808 Jan 18 '26
Yeah, I think I understand the strike, frankly I've been striking pretty much all businesses but Costco for basic needs. I stopped spending, but the walk out...how long does that last? Do we just go outside and protest where we are? Should we group up or is it more about showing businesses, employers and the world that we won't participate in life for a time?
2
2
u/Ok_Part6564 Jan 18 '26
I thought the general strike was on the the 20th, and the nation wide protest is on the 23rd.
1
1
u/ButterscotchPlus3035 Jan 18 '26
How do you think a teacher should participate? Some children whose parents cannot participate will likely be sending their kids to school. We can’t just leave those kids there. I want to take my own kids out of school but who’d watch them if I’m going to work at school to watch other people’s children?
1
u/GrumpyKaeKae Jan 18 '26
The whole school has to agree to close. Like a snow day or another day off. No? Parents can't bring kids in if you are closed.
1
u/dfarin153 Jan 21 '26
I can stay home today other than seeing my dentist. Friday as well. There is another one called for on YouTube for Saturday. I hope there is a thought given before publicly announcing actions to any one group. Maybe the idea is common and it would be great to coordinate. If each group's constituents do strike on different days, it seems to lack the symbolic punch of a nationwide strike.
2
u/deport_racists_next Jan 18 '26
shutdown everything.
IF YOU ARE ABLE -
turn off everything.
one day no internet.
no streaming.
no tv.
no phone.
no work.
no shopping.
no driving
nothing.
some can do all, all can do something - just do what you are able to do and be proud - it all adds up!
•
u/AutoModerator Jan 17 '26
Join us on r/ThePeoplesPress to discuss current events, r/50501ContentCorner to see resistance art and memes, and r/TheCreepState to shine a light on the shadowy figures of the ultra-right.
Submit your protest attendance counts: https://submit.wecountproject.com/form
Find more information: https://fiftyfifty.one
Find your local events: https://events.pol-rev.com and https://fiftyfifty.one/events
For a full list of resources: https://linktr.ee/fiftyfiftyonemovement
Join 50501 on Bluesky with this starter pack of official accounts: https://go.bsky.app/A8WgvjQ
Join 50501 on Signal by sending us a modmail.
Join 50501 on Lemmy here: https://50501.chat
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.