By David Sole
On Saturday, October 18 Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson responded to the military occupation of his city with a call for a nationwide General Strike. His words took on added importance as he was addressing a huge crowd at the “No Kings Day II” rally – one of thousands that took place across the country drawing over 7 million people.
The Mayor’s prominent position and vocal denunciations of Trump’s invasion of Chicago by heavily armed and out of control ICE agents gave new life to this demand that has been raised by a number of groups and individuals. He called for multi-national unity to make the “ultra-rich and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes” to finance education, jobs, health care and transportation.
If Johnson is serious about pursuing this idea it is likely he would get a positive response from the growing number of cities, unions and organizations that are coming under greater attack from the Trump regime. Putting out a nationwide call for representatives to gather in a large Chicago venue to discuss his proposal would be a serious first step.
For those who think a general strike entirely depends on the labor unions, Mayor Johnson recalled W.E.B. DuBois’ description of a “general strike” by enslaved people during the Civil War. Writing in his monumental work “Black Reconstruction” DuBois described the mass resistance, uprisings and abandonment of the plantations as contributing mightily to the defeat of the Confederacy.
Organized labor in the United States could and should play a prominent role in any general strike movement. The unions have resources, staff and organization to be a leading force against the Trump regime. Unfortunately, the union movement has been reluctant to join in the struggle. This is so even though Trump has banned unions for over a million government workers.
Perhaps the unions fear government retaliation. It is also true that a percentage of union members voted for Trump’s false populism and open racism.
It is important to recognize that a general strike cannot simply be created overnight. A period of preparation must precede any actual strike. This includes thorough discussion on the tactics and demands of a mass action. People must understand exactly what they are fighting for. Weaker elements must be educated and won over.
One union, in particular, is well situated to prepare for a general strike – the United Auto Workers (UAW). The UAW Constitution has long included provision for a general strike, although it has never been used, Article 50 Section 8. It states:
In cases of great emergency, when the existence of the International Union is involved, together with the economic and social standing of our membership, the International President and the International Executive Board shall have authority to declare a general strike within the industry by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the International Executive Board, whenever in their good judgment it shall be deemed proper for the purpose of preserving and perpetuating the rights and living standards of the general membership of our International Union, provided, under no circumstances shall it call such a strike until approved by a referendum vote of the membership.
One can almost feel the pulse of the great battles of the 1930’s in the language of this paragraph. What is most interesting is that a referendum vote would have to be conducted, local union by local union, to gain approval for this radical action. Such votes would require thorough education of and discussion by the members well in advance of the voting. Should that education be serious and thorough there would be a period where one local after another would publicly report that their membership authorizes the general strike. Imagine the panic that would ensue among the corporate and banking bosses and billionaires as the mass rebellion builds momentum threatening their profits and their darling Trump.
News media have already tried to calm themselves after Mayor Johnson’s remarks by citing how the Taft-Hartley Act bars political strikes. A true mass movement ought to be able to ignore these capitalist restrictions as “mere paper.” In fact it would be the perfect time for the unions, with support from the public, to demand repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act.
The AFL-CIO also must take a stand for a general strike under its own Constitution. Article II Section 13 can be interpreted as authorizing the great labor federation to take radical action alongside other unions and organizations. It says that one of the AFL-CIO’s duties is:
To protect the labor movement from any and all corrupt influences and from the undermining efforts of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, racism, sexism and 6 Article III: Affiliates other forms of discrimination, terrorism and all other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association and oppose the basic principles of our democracy and of free and democratic unionism.
The idea of a general strike to combat Trump, racism, fascism, union-busting, LGBTQ+ bigotry, suppression of women’s rights, militarism and other attacks on poor and working people is taking on more and more urgency. Protest rallies, marches and isolated confrontations with ICE Gestapo and US military units may not be enough to stem a true fascist coup by Trump, Miller and Bannon. It may quickly make itself evident that a general strike that shuts the entire country down is the only logical step available to the millions of people who are determined to preserve and expand our rights.
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