So You Want to Organize a General Strike
The article explores the concept of a general strike in the United States, distinguishing it from traditional labor strikes and examining its historical precedents. Labor historian Erik Loomis discusses past general strikes, such as those in Seattle in 1919 and Oakland in 1946, which emerged from workplace issues but reflected broader societal discontent. While true general strikes are now legally restricted under the Taft-Hartley Act, recent actions like the May Day economic blackout reflect ongoing efforts to harness collective worker power.
- ▪A general strike involves workers across multiple sectors walking out collectively, often for broad social or political goals, unlike workplace-specific labor strikes.
- ▪Historic general strikes in the U.S., such as in Seattle in 1919 and San Francisco in 1934, arose from labor disputes but reflected wider systemic discontent.
- ▪The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 made sympathy strikes and general strikes illegal, limiting the legal ability of unions to organize such actions today.
- ▪Recent mass actions, like the May Day economic blackout, draw inspiration from past labor movements but do not meet the strict definition of a general strike.
- ▪Labor historian Erik Loomis argues that the symbolic and mobilizing power of calling an action a general strike can be more important than its technical legality or definition.
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freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "motherjones_right_rail_1", slotId: "ROS_ATF_300x600" }); Labor historian Erik Loomis is the author of five books on climate, land, and the labor movement.Mother Jones illustration; Michael Delany/ Providence Journal; Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. On Friday, International Workers’ Day, tens of thousands of people across the US will walk out of school, skip work, and refrain from shopping as part of a nationwide economic blackout against President Donald Trump’s agenda.
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