Build the General Strike! Organize Strike Committees!

Abolish ICE! Take back what the Billionaires have stolen!

A mass strike wave has started in the US, the first since the 1960's and the largest since the 1930's. General Strikes have already begun, on Jan.23 and Jan.30. How do we build them into the massive scale of tens of millions that can defeat the war on workers by Trump and his fellow billionaires? How do we go on the offensive to take back what they have stolen?

Workers' history gives answers. In May, 1968 a mass strike in France grew from student protests of thousands to a national general strike of ten million workers occupying factories, in the course of a single month. A key step was the organization of Student-Worker Committees of Action, which grew into Strike Committees. These Committees were democratically-organized coordination committees, deciding the times, places and demands of demonstrations, working with other strike committees. Base committees — just 10 or 20 workers, students or community members — were organized to send delegates to the Strike Committee meetings so the decisions reflected what everyone wanted. The Strike Committees added positive demands — for a vast reduction in the work week, for much higher minimum wage — to the initial defensive demands against the government's repression and austerity attacks. The movement won these demands.

We now must organize city-wide and regional Strike Committees to grow the strike movement. We, organizations and activists from across North NJ and beyond, are calling on workers, students, organizers from unions and community groups, from schools, factories, offices, as well as individuals outside of groups, to join us in sending your delegates to build regional Strike Committees now.

Out of these regional Strike Committees, we can help over time to organize a National Strike Committee capable of mobilizing millions and democratically leading a united powerful movement.

To elect delegates to the next meeting just get together with 5 to 10 people from your school, workplace, neighborhood or organization. That's the base committee. Discuss what's happening and elect a delegate to the next Strike Committee meeting. Get a list of names and emails to submit to the next meeting--the proof that the delegate was elected. Then after the meeting, the delegate reports back to the base committee.

Here are some readings about past general strikes:

• Introduction: Mass Strikes Today and the Lessons of History
• The Mass Strike, the Political Party and the Trade Unions

Endorsers (in formation): International Luxemburgist Network, Save Gaza, Save Us All; Ben Gordon Freedom Caravan