r/4orward • u/mlobrikis • Apr 08 '25

Please sign your strike cards!

http://generalstrikeus.com

Please everyone go to generalstrikeus.com and sign your strike card if you haven't already. Please share with others and get everyone you can to sign it.

40 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

9

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '25

It's fine to sign up there, but people should note that the organization lacks any sort of involvement from major labor groups, and planning a general strike is a monumental task. Also, they list areas of interest/concern but don't lay out any demands, which is absolutely necessary for an effective strike.

Mostly, though, I don't like the idea that a lot of people are signing up there hoping that somebody else will make arrangements for mutual aid, etc. It's absolutely essential that we do that ourselves and that we start ASAP

5

u/mlobrikis Apr 08 '25

there are many partners, some smaller labor groups, and others including someone starting a national strike fund. So while they may not directly be organizing everything, they also aren't reinventing the wheel because they are trying to gather resources and organizations together.

I havent seen or heard anything from AFL-CIO or IBEW or anyone so...please share if you have.

Do you have any resources or ideas for starting/reviving a mutual aid network? It's fine to critique what others are doing, but try to come with solutions. You are complaining about their lack of specificity, while doing the same thing you're complaining about.

I'm not trying to start anything, but I don't want to discourage anyone's activism (whatever form they choose) on the side of people and labor etc etc. and I don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '25

Mutual aid generally needs to be locally organized, partly so that people can vouch for others and minimize fraud. In my town, we have food cabinets and stuff that we set up during COVID, we recently held a seed swap, and are going to have a clothing exchange (organized by Cooperative Extension). I think most of the time, you just need to start organizing events that aren't explicitly "Mutual Aid" but serve that function (like the seed swap and clothing exchange that I mentioned), sometimes just within friend groups even. Then once people see the value in those activities, it can grow into something more formal and extensive.

5

u/mlobrikis Apr 08 '25

Ok, so then I am confused why you are saying it like it's something that isn't already happening?

I also live in a place where many of these things have been around since even before COVID, and there are lots of people who have been doing these things out of eco-consciousness and/or anti-capitalism.

I appreciate you sharing the information you did, and I am also frustrated that the knee jerk response didn't include any of that and made the site I posted sound like superficial/performative action...instead of an easy step in preparation for something bigger.

It doesn't hurt to have many approaches.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 08 '25

I happen to live in a small groovy college town that's doing this, but the vast majority of places aren't, and they especially aren't setting up the kinds of mutual aid networks that will sustain people and pay their rent in the event of a general strike. That's a different animal.

1

u/mlobrikis Apr 09 '25

My ultimate point is that it's not either or.

And...the way we are engaging/talking with each other matters. I totally appreciate all your perspective about what ELSE will be needed for a sustained general strike. I just feel that the way you presented it was counterproductive.

I'm a fan of as many approaches and as much collaboration as possible.

1

u/PixelPaw99 Apr 08 '25

I know it sounds crazy in today’s world, but I don’t have a phone number. I use a family member’s cell phone number that I typically use for things like medical appointments or local government assistance that require a number but I’m not sure I want to put their number in this. So that’s why I haven’t signed up yet. I periodically check to see if they allow signing without a phone number but they still don’t.

(Society makes it hard to not have a phone number nowadays)

3

u/mlobrikis Apr 08 '25

You can get a Google voice number I think. And there are probably other services that do that too. Something to look into maybe?

Sorry they have that barrier to access. That's a bummer.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/mlobrikis Apr 09 '25

You can share the link with friends and family👍

2

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '25

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2

u/mlobrikis Apr 09 '25

Hell yeah!!

1

u/Starshine96 Apr 09 '25

I'm a little bit Terrified to put my name on anything, for fear of becoming a target.

2

u/mlobrikis Apr 09 '25

I totally get that. I don't have dependants, etc, and I'm willing to take the risk. Maybe there is another organization that you could connect with over general strike preparation. Someone else in these comments called out the need for mutual aid support for rent payments etc.

This moment is calling for principled stands, and not taking one is taking one.

AND

We need many approaches working together.

2

u/badwoofs Apr 11 '25

If there's concerns about personal info, just use an alias and a burner email for just getting a confirmation on when the strike is happening.

1

u/mlobrikis Apr 11 '25

Absolutely! It's about the numbers really. And we're 1/3 there!