US general Strike  

The goal of a general strike is to improve quality of life. The objective is to slow the economy sufficiently to drive business leaders to exert pressure needed to force government officials to meet the demands of the people. Think of it this way. A general strike works by imposing economic sanctions on the government leading to changes we need the very same way that one country imposes economic sanctions on another country to force that country to change their actions.

General strikes are called when citizens have no significant power over a congress or the executive no matter how powerfully they have organised themselves to affect the changes they are seeking. A general strike is a call to action requiring massive numbers of employed Americans to leave their jobs indefinitely and reduce spending until government meets their demands. The strike action works by slowing the economy until business leaders call on government officials to meet the demands of the strike action. Demands typically call for changes that improve people’s quality of life. Coinciding marches reinforces the message to government that people demand change. A general strike can be a powerful weapon to ensure the survival of poor people and to provide quality public services like healthcare and education.

The desired effect of a general strike is to slow the economy to the extent that business leaders will exert pressure needed to force government officials to meet the demands of the people. Marching reinforces the message that people want change and encourages participation. Once that has been expressed in the initial days, marching isn’t absolutely necessary and anyone who finds it physically challenging should limit the amount of marching they participate in, if they march at all. Marches may continue in larger centers on weekends, and those who live in smaller communities may wish to travel to participate in one. Marches must be peaceful, nonviolent and lawful. We discourage wearing masks; some states are trying to prohibit them. We also discourage burning effigies. Do NOT engage in confrontations with counter-protesters.It is critical to success to avoid violence and remain peaceful.

We are asking everyone to do the following beginning on July 30 through to the end of the elections in November: Work-to-rule Purchase only essentials No big box stores like Walmart Shop local, keep $$ in your community No big banks Start a coop (remember those?) Continue through November On June 30th flood the streets in solidarity with MoveOn's #KeepFamiliesTogether action. Consider clogging entrances to Trump properties or an ICE detention center if one is close by. The #economicboycott however officially began Dec. 8/2017 and will continue indefinitely.

Gradually stock cupboards and essential supplies beforehand: storable food items, canned goods, water, personal hygiene items; re-fill medications. Don’t forget essential household items like toilet paper. If you are planning to march, plan to purchase and carry a whistle. Consider booking vacation off or taking sick leave if possible. Make yourself aware of any changes to state laws curbing mass protests.

Refrain from any purchases other than the bare necessities. When purchases are necessary choose the least expensive option When making purchases consider spending a little more on purchases made at small businesses, rather than large chain stores whenever possible Refrain from all non-essential online purchases Refrain from all non-essential travel and limit driving as much as possible Halt ALL forms of entertainment including going out to the movies, DVD rentals, concerts, dining out, sports events Limit gift purchases or better yet, make them from materials on hand Another suggestion is to purchase gift cards before the strike to be used once the strike is over Limit utility usage as much as possible You may participate in locally organized marches or travel to one nearest you.

A 3-day strike will not provide an opportunity to make demands. It will make republican to notice that we have had enough At minimum to negotiate the resignations of Trump, Pence and all suspected corrupt or complicit GOP with respect to Russian election interference & ethics violations; enact laws to prevent re-entry into political positions at every level through life-time bans and/or restraining orders Hillary Clinton must take her place as the rightfully elected President of the United States in light of evidence of corrupt interference working to disrupt and dismantle democracy Make minimum necessary reforms to electoral processes to ensure an improved level of fairness & integrity including but not limited to paper ballots and supervised hand counts Set a date for a new election at the earliest date possible to coincide with reforms of electoral processes Reverse all of Trump’s legislative and executive order actions including SCOTUS appointments and appointments of unqualified senior government officials and staff Agreement to provide nationwide retraining of all law enforcement personnel with the goal of eliminating police brutality and racial profiling and to adopt a zero tolerance policy End Citizens United The number of demands met will depend on the number of people participating and the legth of the strike action.

Four ingredients are needed for success: Massive participation Commitment to stay the course; sustain the strike Discipline to act peacefully without using violence Commitment to face short term risks for long term gain

The duration will depend on the number of people striking. The greater the number of participants, the shorter the duration. It has been suggested that 2-3.5% of the population would be needed. It is also estimated that only 50% of the people who sign up for events actually participate. There has never been a US equivalent example to draw data from, so these are merely guestimates. If people are willing to boost the strike action by withdrawing their money from major banks and depositing it in credit unions, it could shorten the duration. Our best guess is it could take up to a month, but it could be less. An assumption that we are making is that because of our land mass and the size of our economy, it may take this long. However with millions of people participating, people who may be hesitant to join will and it is not unrealistic to expect that number to swell significantly once the strike begins.

You can determine on your own if you provide an essential service. You may instead show your support or contribute to the effort by slowing your pace as much as possible, refusing to work overtime; refusing to perform tasks outside of your normal work duties or agreeing to unpaid travel time. Do no more than the minimum; precisely follow all safety or other regulations, which may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity, avoid working during breaks or during unpaid extended hours and weekends (checking email, for instance). Examples include nurses refusing to answer telephones, teachers refusing to work for free at night and during weekends and holidays, and police officers refusing to issue citations. Refuse to work overtime or agree to unpaid travel time. Every American can limit their purchases to essential items and reduce other costs. Please see our Strike Information page for more information. You may participate in locally organized marches or travel to one nearest you. You can also pitch in by helping to spread the word and organize at the grass roots level. Please see our Sign Up page for more information.

We hope that this decision to participate in the strike action will be based on necessity, not choice. If you are unable to strike for any reason, you can still contribute significantly to the effort. Every American can limit their purchases to essential items and reduce other costs. Please see our Strike Information page for more information. You may also contribute to the effort by slowing your pace while work as much as safely possible, by refusing to work overtime; refusing to perform tasks outside of your normal work duties or agreeing to unpaid travel time. Do no more than the minimum; precisely follow all safety or other regulations, which may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity, avoid working during breaks or during unpaid extended hours and weekends (checking email, for instance). Examples include nurses refusing to answer telephones, teachers refusing to work for free at night and during weekends and holidays, and police officers refusing to issue citations. Refuse to work overtime or agree to unpaid travel time. You may participate in locally organized marches or travel to one nearest you outside of working hours. You can also pitch in by helping to spread the word and organize at the grass roots level. Please see our Sign Up page for more information.

Loss of employment: There is safety in numbers. When massive numbers of people strike, it reduces the risk of job loss in general. However if a single employee within their workplace strikes, they will face a much higher risk. Physical Harm: The need to remain peaceful and avoid violence can’t be overstated; it is absolutely critical to the success of the strike. Participants MUST be disciplined to avoid confrontations that could lead to violence. Violence can have legal implications, cause physical harm and could prompt Trump to call in law enforcement bodies to shut down the march.

Citizens who live in small rural communities where they must exist as an invisible blue dot in a blood red sea may need to consider supporting this action in other ways. If you are unable to strike for any reason, you can still contribute significantly to the effort. Everyone can support a general strike action with economic sanctions by limiting purchases to bare necessities only. Please see our Strike Information page for more information. You may also consider travelling to a march nearest you, if possible. You can also pitch in by helping to spread the word. Please see our Sign Up page for more information.

There is strength in numbers. Once a sufficient number of participants have signed up and committed to the strike action a date will be announced. The #boycott and reduced spending part of our action however will begin officially December 8th and continue indefinitely.

Both have essentially the same objectives. Both call strike actions to improve quality of life for their members or citizens and use economic sanctions to achieve their goals. Both set a list of demands which bring the strike action to an end when they are met. Union Strikes are limited to a specific union or industry and other unions may or may not join the action in solidarity with them. In a politically motivated strike citizens take this action to bring about needed change. In this specific scenario, our strike action is to protect and restore our values, human rights and our democracy from the threats and dangers posed by a corrupted Republican government and a reckless, incompetent, morally corrupt leadership destroying our country.

We need to continue to pay our rent and bills as we would normally do. We must continue to vote and to pay our taxes. It is more important than ever to continue to participate in resistance activities.

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