I was asked about the call for a general strike. Here are my thoughts:
Immigrant labor in the fields. Can you imagine what would happen if they all stopped working?
A general strike doesn’t happen because a few hundred or even a few thousand people want it; it requires millions, even tens of millions of workers determined and organized. One problem is that, as we know, many workers – maybe even most – support Trump. Another problem is that the overwhelming majority of those who don’t are waiting for somebody with real power to organize something. So, at this point, it just doesn’t seem to me that a general strike is in the cards. Here’s what I think is realistic and we should be calling for:
Already undocumented immigrant agriculture workers are staying home from work out of fear of ICE. I think we should start a movement to demand that the unions organize the agriculture workers and meat and vegetable packing workers to stay off work en masse – in other words, go on strike. Some ideas for demands:
- Full citizenship and union rights for all workers”
- Stop the ICE raids and all deportations
- A $30/hour minimum wage with full benefits
- A national health care system, including public ownership of the hospitals
- etc.
I think we should demand that the union leadership organize Trump opponents – union members and non-members alike – to take this to the fields and similar places with the pledge that we will stand the picket lines for the immigrant workers if they stay off of work/go on strike. I think it’s highly unlikely that the union leadership would do that, but if we could build a big enough movement to demand that, and if we organize such a movement from the ground up – democratically (small “d”), that is – then we can start to do that without the official unions.
Can you imagine what would happen? Within a week the grocery store shelves would be empty. And as for those workers who support Trump: In my opinion, they just support whoever seems strongest. Once they start to see the real power of the working class, including immigrant workers, and if that power is linked to some of their own needs, that would have a massive effect on their views.
So, that’s my idea.
Immigrant labor in the fields. Can you imagine what would happen if they stopped working?