Are we, wage slaves, and retired former wage slaves ready for a general strike? If we are ready I think top of the list on the strike banner should be a minimum wage hike to at least $15 an hour then leave Social Security alone and next strong labor laws to protect wages and the right to have a union. Also to do away with the right to work state laws, which if you belong to a union and receive benefits then you should pay your share—no free rides. You know the GOP way: nothing free.
If we get the minimum wage raised we will have a lot of people thankful and see just what the power of union people can do. If the lower wage workers have $5 per hour more to spend it will be better for every worker and they can purchase better transportation to get to work and will spend more; and, in turn, help the consumer economy, which is what we have.
The more we buy the more someone has to make or supply, and around it goes; but with no spending power it just doesn’t work. The corporations go to undeveloped countries and try to get them to buy our products, which takes years and moves jobs overseas. When the corporations could do the same things right here just by paying more in minimum wage. The U.S. has a third world economy right now that can be tapped as customers, but in order for this to happen the wage slaves must do something over the top, something never done before like a countrywide general strike like the LongShoremen did in Washington state, but only on an even larger scale.
If we start talking about it now and pick the right time we would get the attention of the masses. This would be a real 99% event, and in the long run even some of the 1% would benefit whether they would want it or not. We need to do this before the next election.
Unions’ long game is to get all union contracts to expire on the same day nationwide. The United Auto Workers combines contracts ends on April 28, 2028. This could then result in a mass national strike starting on May Day beeginning that year. This could then put enormous pressure on employers, but also on lawmakers. It’s the muscle and sweat of the workers that keeps this country great, not the individual company or corporations. This May Day strike would be the time to change the workers’ world for the better by negotiating for a 32-hour week with the same pay, and the U.S. adopts a healthcare for all with no out of pocket costs. This would also help the employers as they would no longer have to provide healthcare. By striking, the UAW won same pay for new workers, all UAW contracts will end on the same date, a 25-percent pay increase, a cost of living adjustments, a guaranteed right to strike over potential plant closures, and also the right to vote to unionize through the card che
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