going on strike the most effective form of protest; why don't we do it?

[wli]

This thread determined that, according to DU'ers, going on strike is the most effective form of protest.

Now, for as much as we support Cindy Sheehan, and feel the need for mass demonstrations, and the like, there is very little discussion of organizing such affairs. Is something going wrong here? Are we not pursuing the most effective forms of protest? Are there barriers (e.g. Taft-Hartley or others) against such affairs?

What hit us? Why aren't we pursuing this "most effective" form of protest if so many of us believe it is so?

Inquiring minds want to know. If DU'ers could chime in here and give me an idea of what's going on, I would be much obliged.

Thanks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Hmm why not

the Ameerican People are not YET houngry or cold enough, but they are now hungry and cold enough to go to a vigil which is far an improvement from oh een six months ago

[wli]

4. what's being brought up in another reply is job security

Namely, that canning strikers en masse will be used instead of any useful effect to the strike. The heavy movement toward wage laborers and high unemployment affects this also, and thereby reduces the effectiveness of strikes and boosts the supply of potential scabs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. This is related to being hungry and cold enough

when you are desperate yuo don't care, you just do it... and labor willnot get its act together UNTIL people are omce again hunbry and cold enough... call it pure history or social science

[wli]

10. then this says that going on strike is ineffective

So something else needs to be cooked up.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. No, no going on strike is effective, the problem is the

size.

If we had oh I don't a national strike that brought the country to a screeching halt for 72 hours... you're talking. If only employees in a small sector go on strike, then they will fire them, But if 300 million people walk off the job... firing becomes very ineffective to the employers.

It is the size and what labor is willing to do, and how many lumps (or even lives) is labor willing to loose.

At this point people need to ask to themselves, what am I willing to give up? For me this includes my life... but I know what is at stake... and personally have done silly things like oh send Amicus Briefs to the USSC over Guantanamo, so the noose is already on my neck anyway if we should loose this one... you'd be surprised how liberating that feeling is, as strange as it sounds.

[wli]

12. if so, then organization and confidence are problems

And I don't have good answers for either.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Yes but that may be building

there are rumors about gas haulers going on strike and the spontaneous action in Florida the other day points to the a country more ready fora national strike than we have been oh, since quite possibly the 1880s and the 1920s.

Truly what side are you on,

They say in harlan Country
There are no neutrals they
You are either with the union
or with JMK

What side are you on
What side are you on....

(From memory)

[wli]

16. I can write sonnets and villanelles.

Most of the rest I can't do (especially not by myself).

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Well that is an old song

From the 1940s I believe

Still the country is moving in that direction... contact your local union and write for the local union paper, that is one thing you can do... don't expect them to be too enthusiastic yet, but the country is going in that direction

[anarchy1999]

18. You are so right.

I read your post #11 and walked away for a few minutes thinking to myself the truckers and the longshoremen are the key.

I come back and sure enough, you said it.

Imagine an 18's wheelers wheels screeching to a dead halt fast, coast to coast.

Oh and don't forget the Ohio River is dried up, they are losing millions a day right now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Yep, you can almost feel it

the other shoe WILL drop... SOON

[MercutioATC]

2. Because the last time we did that, Reagan fired all of us...

...yes, I'm an air traffic controller. Striking isn't an option...

:)

[wli]

3. in this case, it's not so effective

And the poll results aren't as meaningful as I'd hoped.

[ugarte]

5. People are scared, jobs hard to come by

No savings, in debt to the eyeballs. They're afraid to even call in sick, much less go on strike.

But you're right. A strike is the best weapon we've got, if we could ever get it together.

[OneBlueSky]

7. that's why a strike won't work . . . at least not yet . . .

in this economy, and with the lack of leadership in Washington, people will not be inclined to take actions that might jeopardize their employment . . .

that's now . . . enough people aren't sufficiently informed and sufficiently outraged . . . and a not insubstantial percentage of the population just doen't give a shit . . .

at some point, thought, this will change . . . as people start to think, and begin to understand the war, the 2004 elections, and 9/11 . . .

[wli]

8. it's not me, it's the votes in the poll I posted n/t

[Trillo]

6. If they "don't care" about anything but money,

then pinching their cash flow is probably the only thing that would get their attention.

Every time I've mentioned this in other threads, some posters then confuse the issue (discussion board deliberate tactic is my guess).

I can just see half the workforce getting ill all at the same time.

[leftofthedial]

13. don't you have to have a job to go on strike?

[wli]

14. if we're prevented from doing it effectively, it didn't deserve the vote

So, if not that, then what? Vote!

[DanCa]

19. Time to read grapes of wrath (nt)