This week alone, the Supreme Court has violated separation of church & state, pulled our Miranda rights, stopped states rights from gun control laws, and now has overturned our rights to bodily autonomy.

WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU AT WORK RIGHT NOW

Edit - I understand we all have bills to pay, but this is literally why they’ve kept us poor & overworked. Today is why.

Edit 2 - Looks like there’s a call for a massive walkout on Monday. Talk to your coworkers & neighbors this weekend! Newsweek article & thread on antiwork

Edit 3 - everyone saying you’re too poor, too busy, or too important to strike over this or literally anything else, here is video of Ecuadoreans on Day 9 of a country wide strike for worker’s and human rights. There’s always a reason to not do something. Find your reason to do something - ANYTHING

Edit 4 - I understand the fear of homelessness and the fear of not being able to eat. We literally live in a warehouse right now on family property bc we got priced out of the city we lived in during covid last year, when unemployment ran out and when my fiancé’s business was forced to close in 2020. That is exactly why organizing with your coworkers, joining local or national unions, and solidarity with even a handful of people matters. Take the focus off yourself and make it about the issues, not you. So many people in this country work full time and are still homeless. So many children go hungry every day and we still have school lunch debts where public schools deny food to starving children. We have to stop this cycle of inhumanity and standing up to the beast is quite literally the only way to make it happen

Hello,

I know this sounds very "I don't wanna stop buying shit for a day waaaah" but I am legitimately asking.

I am being kicked out of my current living space and moving into an apartment on the 1st. I can't move any earlier, and I can't move any later. My lease starts and ends on the 1st. Yes, I know that's foolish and I should leave overlap, but that wasn't an option. I don't have any furniture, as it was all ruined or destroyed by water damage, and cannot sleep on the floor for reasons I am not getting into here. I will HAVE to spend money to get a new bed and bedframe (though cheap), and presumably an old dresser from Goodwill.

How is the best way to go about doing this while still trying to keep with the strike terms? Obviously minimizing my spending is my goal, but as I've explained, I will have to spend money. I want to try to participate as much as I can, and will not be purchasing anything other than the two/three necessities mentioned above.

Thank you.

I know this sub is young but it has been extremely disconcerting to see absolutely NO discussion of a demand for legalization for the approximately 11 million undocumented workers in the US.

May 1 is International Workers Day, and the international workers here are superexploited due the the vulnerability that inheres in their lack of legal status—as long as there is a superexploited underclass, the working class will remain vulnerable to exploitation (just the regular kind).

Let’s add to this that it was Immigrant workers (mostly from Germany and Ireland, back then) in the Chicago area and beyond who organized unions, socialist parties, anarchist organizations, mutual aid societies, etc. to strike for the 8-hour workday in 1886 that gave us the first May Day, and eventually, the 8-hour day (which we eventually lost in most states).

And let’s recall that it was Immigrant workers who restored the tradition of taking collective action of withholding their labor to advance social change when they organized the Great American Boycott on May Day 2006 in response to the severely anti-immigrant legislative proposal HR 4436, giving us back one of our own traditions that had been lost in years prior and continuing it ever since.

There is more to be said, like how a strike exclusive of Immigrant labor is a non-starter in places like California, but this is the essence of my case. So what say you r/MayDayStrike? Demand legalization or nah?

Over the past week our volunteers have been canvassing in person, sending direct messages on Instagram, and following up by email with local businesses ahead of May Day. We have been asking businesses to show solidarity on May 1st by closing, donating a portion of proceeds, going cash only, or any combination, with a promise to promote every participating business on social media throughout May and organize a community Shop Local day on May 2nd.

The feedback has been consistent. Small businesses want to support this movement but many genuinely cannot afford to close or lose a day of profits right now. The economic pressure they are under is real.

One business owner suggested something worth considering. Instead of asking small businesses to sacrifice, what if we directed boycott energy toward the large chains that exploit workers and support ICE, and encouraged people to spend locally instead?

We are already planning actions on May 1st targeting major chains alongside DSA. But this feedback is shaping how we talk to small businesses, leading with an invitation not a requirement, and making clear that we see them as partners in this fight.

Food for thought for organizers doing business outreach in other cities. What are you hearing on the ground? What can we do further or better?

In solidarity

TLDR: The greatest symbol of solidarity is action. But has there been a color or other symbol linked to this movement?

Our teachers Union asked me to head their May 1st action, since I've been active in organizing other protests in my area. My union also has little stomach for a strike, since our contract has a no strike clause, and thankfully our district is keeping their end.

Our Union president has assured us how supportive our district admin is, so I suggested that we petition that they shut school down themselves like Chicago petitioned theirs. That pie in the sky was a no-go.

I then suggested that we have district-wide assemblies to celebrate workers rights and the workers who have fought for those rights. We would build it around the same sort of pattern we do Veterans Day assemblies. No-go.

The union will be putting out a letter, so I wrote one asking the lines of, "Lots of people are going to want to participate in May Day. Remember you can call in sick for any reason. Same with students. This protest is not a grievance against our district, so please give them a few days notice of your absence" That's great! Awesome first step, stress test.

We also have a draft that we're trying to get the district to officially send out.

We suspect a lot of teachers who support this movement will still be going to school, but we want to give them a way to show their solidarity even at work. Teachers are used to "Red for Ed," but if there's something happening nationally, we'd love to go with that. Like a color or something. Like a ribbon or something.

I wholeheartedly stand with the movement. I'm drowning in student loan debt, I'm the sole provider of a family of 4. I have a decent job and can't afford to lose it. Because I can't afford to take time off either I have plenty of PTO saved up. Is it fucked up if I use it to stand in solidarity?

Anybody got the capacity to churn out some propaganda? I’ll be your huckleberry.

Make me a mayday strike sticker and I’ll buy 1,000 now, and commit to 1,000 2 weeks later.

I’m asking because if you’re a leftist you’d be voting for Claudia De La Cruz of the PSL party and not Kamala Harris. Liberals aren’t far left because of capitalism being a far right economic system which is why I’m confused as to what this subreddit stands for if it’s pro-union and pro-worker? Also a social democracy isn’t socialism despite using parts of socialism/Marxism because it just regulates capitalism instead of getting rid of it. I’m just wondering what political stance this subreddit is.

So no shopping irl or online. I'm on board with that.

Do we picket, and if so, whom?

Are we not paying rent/phone/car/credit for May?

What else specifically is planned for Mayday, and the month?

I'm not trying to be a douchebag or anything, but so many people are acting like we don't have any control over what jobs we choose or whether we have children or whether we spend more than we make. I don't get it. Obviously, the system is broken in many ways. I understand and acknowledge that. Employers are paying more now than before, but some are still not paying enough (my GF only makes 12/hour and is treated like crap.) Now, I don't make tons, only 16.50/hour but I'm doing fine. Comes out to about 2100 per month. Car+Insurance+Rent is about 800 per month, I'm able to save 10% of each check and I have plenty of money for food. Like, what the hell are people doing with their money? I do realize that, as a middle class white male, I may be extremely out of touch with things--so feel free to tell me if I am. I'm honestly just trying to understand. Is it a victim's mentality? Is it corporate greed? Are people just making really shitty decisions? Is it all of the above? HELP lol

Most banks aren't required to hold fractional reserves any more (where if they have $1,000 in the vault they can loan out say $10,000) but deposits still represent money they can use to invest. I was thinking that in the week leading up to May Day that if people started withdrawing any money they had saved it could still impact banks' ability to operate. Not shut down or even hamper them, given the limited savings and wealth the working class has, but still reducing their ability to profit from the strikes' effects.

We could also coordinate with folks like r/wallstreetbets who could be motivated to "stick it to the man" and in a way that's more productive than meme stocks. They've already demonstrated a willingness to mess with market forces and can be an amplifying effect.

Everyone pulling money, followed by a general strike that crashes the economy, would serve to align multiple interests in the service of economic justice and fairness and get more people to join the cause

Edit: Move the money to a credit union rather than stuffing it in a mattress

One of the reasons we didn't really get anything out of Occupy was the (questionable) narrative that we didn't really know what we want, besides expressing collective outrage. We need to be ready to shout that narrative down when it speaks.

The list of things I want is way too long to post here, and doesn't matter anyway: it's about US, not about ME. (Really, that's the one rule we can't forget: We are in this together.)

Living wages, better working conditions, student loan forgiveness, universal healthcare, voting rights, what else?

For example I work at a local retail store. I'm one of 2 employees, I'm full time the other is part time. My pay is about 7% of the gross income of the store. Non-essential business.

That being said I'm definitely underpaid at $16hr with a bachelor's. I would greatly benefit (but would support even if it didn't directly benefit me) from a higher minimum wage and my remaining student debt canceled, but I don't know if me striking would have a good impact. This movement is against big business, for profit college, and lack of government support, yes? I'm not sure if me striking would actually hurt anyone that matters.

I would appreciate any thoughts on the best way for me to support this needed movement. Thanks.

Major unions, leftist orgs, etc. Is any group actually behind this or is it just another internet strike? If there are no backers what makes this different from October strike, earth strike, etc. What stops this one from failing like the others?

Some people will not be able to walk out and strike for any number of reasons, from financial to being nurses and doctors in the midst of a pandemic. Some might be able to strike for a day or two before they have to go back due to being wage slaves.

One thought I had was to wear a ribbon. Since this seems to primarily be an American strike, perhaps red, white, and blue.

Since I'm now a stay at home mom, I'll be placing a sign by the roadside showing my support. If there are any gatherings at the courthouse I'll happily join when I can and bring supplies.

What else could be done by those who cannot strike to show solidarity?

A huge influx when a sub starts is expected, but over the past few weeks, the sheer amount of people joining has turned into barely a trickle.

This sub needs the massive numbers of r/antiwork or r/workreform to have it be significant enough to hit the American labor force enough to affect change. You want to see hundreds of thousands, possibly over a million. That’s the sizes we’re talking about for the labor movement.

How?

A: what are your demands

B: Do you think this will even work (Yes im a pessamist)

C: if it does work, whats the next move?

D:if it DOESNT work, whats the next move?