Forum Post: A General Strike
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 22, 2011, 12:20 p.m. EST by FHampton
(309)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Let's redouble the outreach to labor. The UK labor movement has called for a general strike on November 30th. Occupy Wall Street must show solidarity with comrades in the UK, Greece, Chile and around the world.
"An all-out attack on immigrant workers, their families, and communities continues in the South and West. In Alabama, immigrant workers met it with a day of wildcat strikes."
http://labornotes.org/2011/10/alabama-workers-meet-harsh-immigration-law-wildcats
http://www.occupyoakland.org/ai1ec_event/general-strike-mass-day-of-action/
List of endorsements for the Nov 2nd general strike in Oakland:
http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/10/list-of-endorsements/
"The Oakland police union released a statement today saying its officers are confused about Mayor Jean Quan's stance on the Occupy Oakland encampment and what they are being asked to do for Wednesday's citywide general strike."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/01/BAOS1LP3SB.DTL&tsp=1
From Occupy Oakland:
"On Wednesday, November 2nd as part of the Oakland General Strike, we will march on the Port of Oakland and shut it down. We will converge at 5pm at 14th and Broadway and march to the port to shut it down before the 7pm night shift.
"We are doing this in order to blockade the flow of capital on the day of the General Strike, as well as to show our commitment to solidarity with Longshore workers in their struggle against EGT in Longview, Washington. EGT is an international grain exporter which is attempting to rupture longshore jurisdiction. The driving force behind EGT is Bunge LTD, a leading agribusiness and food company which reported 2.4 billion dollars in profit in 2010; this company has strong ties to Wall Street. This is but one example of Wall Street’s corporate attack on workers."
http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/10/blockade-port-of-oakland-during-nov-2-general-strike/
Listen guys. The problems we have are huge and global in scope. Things like strikes and protesting are like shooting spit balls at a tank. We have to get serious and think much bigger and out of the box. Let me show you >>>
Read “Common Sense 3.1” at ( www.revolution2.osixs.org )
FIGHT THE CAUSE - NOT THE SYMPTOM
Otherwise be prepared for disappointment and no significant change.
It is not simply that anyone /wants/ a strike. The entire world, the masses of working people, NEED a general strike! Brothers and sisters /We are only 1 Month! in to the movement - imagine what we could accomplish in another month! It used to be you could have revolution with just a pen and paper... Now we have the internet. And we must take full advantage of this. Tweet #GENERALSTRIKE to our comrades across the United States and the world! I have already done so, from the midwest to the northeast and the far west, to Asia, Europe, Australia, and wherever else! The time is now! If we do not act /now/ it will be too late later.
that will work, and I feel it will work even better if you add this to your agenda:
Here's how we can easily Reform Wall Street: Take away their powers "once again." And a Million People March to Capitol Hill will help get it done!
For example, "We are here Congress because we want to REINSTATE the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp#axzz1aPEc3wX which helped saved our country from the Great Depression by preventing investment companies, banks, and insurance companies from merging and becoming large brokerage firms; instead of just being Banks and Insurance companies--Congress why can't you learn a history lesson from 1929? Btw, why did most of you vote for its final repeal in 1999? http://www.counterpunch.org/2008/09/19/shattering-the-glass-steagall-act (2nd story here)
Think about where we are now, it all started in 1999 with lawmakers like Senator Phil Gramm who helped create legal gambling casinos for our banks: CNN's The Ten Most Responsible for Economy Collapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQOxr2wBZQ&feature=related
Furthermore, we also want you to CHANGE the Commodities Future Modernization Act of 2000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_Futures_Modernization_Act_of_2000 BACK to where it was before 2000, which since has deregulated energy markets and consequently allowed for such scams as The Enron Loophole; whereas in the early 2000's Enron Corp. was charging 250 bucks plus for a kilowatt hour...They all when to jail for this. But, the Enron loophole is still not closed, for example, allowing speculators to resell barrels of oil over and over again before it reaches the gas station owner. It's basically legal gambling at our expense. What were those lawmakers thinking then? What are you thinking now? Either do the right think, or you're part of the 1%."
Why are oil prices high? The Enron Loophole. Former head of U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission speaks to Congress on the high price of oil--and he's not happy about energy deregulations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbdtTGYQBMU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNp0y0SjOkY&feature=related
Rolling Stones Reporter: Truth about Goldman Sachs--how they have cornered the markets--basically, The Enron Loophole and the Repeal of Glass-Steagall Act in 1999. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waL5UxScgUw
Let's get focused and bring back Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, they got it right 1933, we don't need to REINVENT the wheel because bringing this Act back will create an even playing field once again....and let's finally Close the Enron Loophole, which allowed Enron to charge what they wanted for energy; they went to jail for this; but no one closed the loophole, why? Re-election Monies from the banks and oil companies! The writing is on the wall.
Absolutely. General Strike is great idea. Course, the mainstream in this country generally does not give a shit about anybody if they are okay. Most people don't even know about the OWS Crowd. So, it would be dependent on Unions, Students, the Unemployed and Progressives to make a statement. Can we motivate these people: debatable.
I do think all the risks need to be weighed. Here is a good article speculating on possible outcomes:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/10/2011107135115719238.html
Remember, Labor Unions and people in Europe are much more advanced than here. The English Unions are facing a real problem regarding their pensions. The time might not be ripe here. I advocate Occupying the Capitol and civil disobedience, blocking entrances to the Congressional and Senate buildings. Let's bring a million supporters to Washington DC and have 50,000 commit to civil disobedience. That WILL get their attention.
that's just after Thanksgiving in the states
A classic text on the objective conditions that underlie mass industrial action:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1906/mass-strike/
This idea of bringing the Nov 30th strike here is absolutely the type of action that this movement should strive for. I think it will reinforce the universality of our interests. I think it will make our movement stronger.
Press conference from Oakland on the Nov 2nd general strike there:
http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/10/occupy-oakland-general-strike-press-conference/
Cal Winslow on the 1946 Oakland general strike:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/11/01/the-1946-oakland-general-strike/
From last year:
"Members of UE Local 1110 who work at Republic Windows and Doors are occupying the plant around the clock this weekend, in an effort to force the company and its main creditor to meet their obligations to the workers. Their goal is to at least get the compensation that workers are owed; they also seek the resumption of operations at the plant. All 260 members of the local were laid off Friday in a sudden plant closing, brought on by Bank of America cutting off operating credit to the company."
http://www.ueunion.org/uenewsupdates.html?news=426
http://www.ueunion.org/ue_republic.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed--the-capitalist-network-that-runs-the-world.html
"Unions are embracing the occupation as a platform for raising demands they’ve spoken about for months without similar traction."
http://labornotes.org/2011/10/labor-throws-weight-wall-street-occupation