General Strikes

by Jennifer John

Overwhelming amounts of news come at us daily, especially if we pay attention to independent media. We will quickly lose hope if we see ourselves as helpless.

The Governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker, said recently in a speech in New Hampshire, “I understand the tendency to give in to despair right now, but despair is an indulgence that we can’t afford in the times upon which history turns. Never before, in my life, have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now.” You may have heard this quote from Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern from a town hall in March 2025. “We need to start thinking about out-of-the-box ideas like a general strike.” What exactly does that mean? A general strike is a coordinated work stoppage involving workers from multiple industries or sectors. It’s usually organized to demand political or economic reforms or changes in government policy. It is a powerful way for workers to show unity and pressure those in power to make changes.

Many of you may not realize there are already plans for a general strike. The website is The General Strike (generalstrikeus.com). According to their website: “The General Strike is a grassroots network of ordinary people who recognize that our greatest power lies in our labor and our right to refuse it. We aim to unite every individual and organization fighting for racial, economic, and environmental justice to achieve real change in our lifetimes.” Also from their website, “Research shows we need 3.5% of the population, or 11 million Americans, to be successful.”

On the website, you can sign a strike card with basic information–your name, zip code, email, and phone number. The website has a counter that keeps track of the number of people who have signed up, so they will know when to start the different phases of the strike.

For example, over 345,000 people have committed to striking so far, but that leaves well over 10 million more who are needed, so we’re still in the first phase.

There are three strike phases, which I will quickly summarize. The first one is “Base Organizing”–0-3 million signed strike cards. This phase focuses on uniting activists and organizations for the general strike by building a decentralized network that can grow rapidly.

Phase 2– “Coalition Building & Strike Day Prep.” With 3 million strike cards signed, demands will be finalized, strike dates will be chosen, and events will be planned through coalition meetings led by justice movement experts.

Phase 3 –“Finalizing Demands” begins when there are 8 million strike cards. Demands will be finalized, support systems prepared, and strike notices distributed. Then, when there are 11 million Americans who have committed to this cause, it will be time to strike.

I found the The General Strike website to be very informative. They have different sections you can explore and FAQ’s to learn more about their values and demands. Here’s a link to an article on BBC.com from 2019 titled, “The ‘3.5% Rule’: How a Small Minority Can Change the World.” This article includes research about nonviolent protests in other countries and why it’s important to reach the 3.5% of the population threshold to bring about change.