Of Big Oil gouging us and a general strike in response

[Efilroft Sul]

Big Oil's gouging us. You know it, and I know it. And their bought-and-paid for boys in the Bush administration are doing nothing about it. So can we get their attention with a general strike during the week of Labor Day, the holiday that celebrates American workers and their power to collectively challenge the powers that be?

I propose that Americans don't go to work or drive anywhere (except for emergency purposes) on Wednesday the seventh, when most businesses should be back in the swing of things following the holiday. It's time we shut this country down and finally get the media and Washington to address the big fat elephant standing in the middle of the room: Big Oil is gouging us, and Bush's unwillingness to do rein in his cronies is hurting working Americans everywhere.

How realistic is it to get this idea out there to the masses? Does this idea have legs?

Any input, including disagreements, are welcome. Unfortunately, I won't be able to respond after 5:15 p.m. EDT today until Monday morning.

[oneighty]

1. Against the law

are nationwide strikes - so I have read.

There was such a general strike in Seattle (Google 'general workers strike Seattle 1919).

An interesting but otherwise a great way to fill empty spaces in jails.

Welcome to DU.

180

[Efilroft Sul]

3. Prisons are overflowing.

And they can't jail all of us. Then that would really shut down the nation.

[spinbaby]

5. The organizers would go to Gitmo

Terrorists, you know.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. And your point?

Look thinking of what may happen is what keeps people inactive... it is called Fear.

[spinbaby]

11. Damn right I'm afraid

And you know there's something wrong when you're afraid of your government.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Yes, I guess I have done already enough that they will

round me up in the first wave... but this is exactly how they win... you being cowed

Now here is a dictum

There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

FDR

If enough people live by this and choose NOT to act on their fear, or just plainly ignore their fear and ACT, the whole ball of wax will collapse

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Yuo know slavery was okay with the law at one time

and women were not allowed to vote....

It IS high time to make a stand... and if the whole nation goes on strike, they will not use prison, but martial law.... or they will realize the old military truism, when you say follow me, and they don't follow, you have no longer any command

[LSK]

8. what law????

Theres laws about going to work now?? I can understand being fired for not going to work, but what laws????????????????

[Hubert Flottz]

23. Bush don't pay any mind to the law, he does as he pleases!

Is he better than you and me?

[oneighty]

26. I cannot find on Google

the definitive word on a 'national strike' legality thereof. It is clear from google that non-union strikes are indeed illegal.

Labor laws are complex. I will keep looking, but not today.

180

[spinbaby]

28. We need a letter

To circulate around the Internet.

Who wants to write it?

[Efilroft Sul]

34. They can't criminalize everyone who calls off *cough!* sick.

And I'm sick to death of this runaway, unchecked greed.

Thanks for looking into the legalities, 180. I hope your search enlightens me when I can get back to DU on Monday. Still, even if a national strike is illegal, it's time to say "so what?"

Splitting from the British crown was once deemed illegal. We Americans can stand up to the 21st century version of King George and his cronies, too. Wednesday the seventh can be our Texas Tea Party day.

[oneighty]

37. O kay. A little bit.

Taft Hartley act placed restrictions on freedom to strike. See National Labor Relations Act.

And even better; Google 'Bush declares war on West Coast Port Workers. Here he threatens to break the strike using the military. He uses the Patriot act as partial justification.

Bottom line if the workers, union and non-union strike something bad will happen I bet.

180

[LSK]

38. thanks for looking it up

Its something to look at.

[K-W]

12. Slavery is actually illegal in this country.

You cannot be forced to work. (except wage slavery, but that is a discussion for another thread)

[Benhurst]

14. What do you think this is, a free country? Jeez!

[jsamuel]

18. What are they going to do? Arrest everyone that doesn't go to work Sept 23

?

Yeah right!

[Renew Deal]

30. How can you jail people for not going to work?

:shrug:

[spinbaby]

2. Great!

Now who's going to organize it?

[Efilroft Sul]

4. It would be nice if organized labor would flex its muscles for all of us.

Conversely, it would be nice if we all flexed our muscles for organized labor.

[Skidmore]

10. We need to flex our muscles AT organized labor

because they should be out on the front on this, particularly the Teamsters.

[isitover]

6. Gas strike

My kids, (16 and 17)have been bitten by the activist bug what with the camp casey event and all. They and their friends are looking for a way to show their disgust with the war and the oil cabal. I think if the youth can get behind some of these ideas, they will grow legs.


Not yet, but hopefully soon!

[nookiemonster]

15. Welcome to DU! I think that is fantastic.

And you sound like a well-informed parent yourself.

I have always had a dream about the youth pulling us out of this mess. They are much more open to ideas than some of us old farts are.

They also have alot more to lose if BushCo continues in this downward spiral.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Good for yer kids

and weloome to DU

[CountAllVotes]

17. I CAN do that! Wed. Sept. 7th, 2005

No work, no gas, nothing ... easy enough.

Spread the word!

General strike sounds just FINE TO ME! :grr:

Bastards! Greedy self-serving bastards the lot of them.

This might help perhaps!

:kick:

[jsamuel]

19. I think we need a little more time, but we can do it more than once

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. In france they are effective

I think it truly staretd in florida yesterday... the truckers are pissed, will not take much to get this going

That said, remember folks peak oil

[CountAllVotes]

22. it worked in San Francisco before too

I happened to be living there when a general strike was on the table and the Municipal Railway System (aka MUNI) was shut-down COLD for a few weeks. Yep, SHUT DOWN! This occurred in the mid-1970s and it was HIGHLY effective btw.

Strike YES!

UNION YES!

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. I have the sneaky suspicion that it is coming

by the way, we need to grow that labor movement, how about unionizing Walmart?

:evilgrin:

[Efilroft Sul]

21. I just contacted the Teamsters about this

I don't expect an immediate response from them, but I think this issue is of grave concern for its membership. Their costs in fuel are passed on down the line to all of us.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Good idea and labor needs to act

NOW is the time

[cthrumatrix]

27. kick ...alll profits are obscene

[Efilroft Sul]

29. Shameless kick to the top.

Spinbaby (my next-door neighbor, of sorts) will be checking out this thread over the weekend. Spinbaby has home Internet access; I don't.

[JaneGat]

31. Investors Business Daily headline: Retail Sales Surged on [Gasoline]

"Retail Sales Surged On Autos, Gasoline, Otherwise Stagnant"

http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=5

The media keeps reporting today that "Americans keep buying gas so they must not be worried..." :banghead:

[mikehiggins]

32. Not a "general strike" just an "Energy Independence Day" in which we

all save gas and oil by simply staying home and having a picnic.

You could also call it the "give the Oil companies a hand---one finger at a time"

[cthrumatrix]

33. Oil Companies will make out like bandits under Iraq "privatization"

more profits based on OUR childrens blood

[Efilroft Sul]

36. Sweet!

Let's have Energy Independence picnics and Texas Tea Parties across the land.

The bottom line, however, is we all stay home. Let's shut this mother down.

[CountAllVotes]

35. nominated for Greatest Page!

and another

:kick: :kick: :kick: !!!!!!!

[spinbaby]

39. Deserves a bump

We're being Enronned and this is a way to fight back that they might actually notice.