Thread by @BVWU_IWW

A few tips on how to #strike:

PART 1: SOCIAL MAPPING

• Keep a list of ALL of your coworkers, with contact (phone, etc.).

#GeneralStrike
#NotDying4WallStreet
#1u

https://twitter.com/Adookable/status/1243037368707239936

• Rank your coworkers from 1-5 on whether they would organize against a strike (1), would be passively against or neutral (2-3), or passive/active support (4-5).

• Also, on this list, take notes on the relationships between coworkers. Try to identify: a) people who will help you organize, and b) "shop leaders"—people who you think other people will listen to.

• Then, you have to begin convincing people to go on strike. Begin with higher numbers (4-5, people likely to support) as well as shop leaders. That will make it easier to then work your way down to other workers (2-3). Avoid talking to people who you think will snitch (1).

PART 2: THE 1-ON-1

• Your task is to talk to every single one of your coworkers (except snitches) to convince them to go on strike. Go through them one by one as you build your strike committee.

• The elements of a 1-on-1 conversation are AEIOU: Agitate, Educate, Inoculate, Organize/Union.

• AGITATE: The goal here is to get a coworker to recognize there is a problem. Try to tap into things coworkers are already angry about. Make sure to LISTEN. There is a lot to be angry about right now. Look for problems workers may have in common.

• EDUCATE: Political education is a two-way street. You need to listen to your coworkers to build a full picture of the whole workplace's problems. And you need to help coworkers understand how the boss is to blame and how a strike would help.

• INOCULATE 1/2: 🚨Very important! You have to help coworkers overcome any fears that may prevent them from striking. You need to imagine worst-case scenarios in advance (what if we get fired?, etc.), explain how mass action protects you + why it's worth the risk.

• INOCULATE 2/2: It cannot be overemphasized how important this element is. Striking is a genuine risk. You will have a strong strike when workers fully understand the risk and are willing to do it anyway.

• ORGANIZE/UNION: Give your coworker a concrete task. A good task: texting one other person about the strike. At this stage you should also invite your coworker to participate in a strike committee meeting.

PART 3: THE STRIKE COMMITTEE

• Hold meetings on Zoom or whatever platform you like that allows you to do social distancing.

• Crucial elements for a meeting: agenda (list of things to talk about), a facilitator (who moves everyone through the agenda), and a note taker.

• Try to get to a collective agreement on: demands, when the strike will begin, how long the strike will last, etc. Use voting or consensus, and make sure your notes include a CLEAR record of every collective decision you make. This will reduce internal conflict in the future.

PART 4: THE STRIKE

• Under normal conditions, a union would have a strike fund to help economically sustain workers for however long they need to strike. There would also be a plan for marches and pickets to shut down worksites. You are not working under normal conditions.

• Use your best judgment as to what a strike will look like. Given the conditions, try to orient demands towards survival in the crisis (maintaining healthcare, store shutdown, paid time off, worker control, etc.). Try to connect workers to local #mutualaid as well.

• We are going through a crisis triggering an unprecedented strike wave. We may be on the verge of a #GeneralStrike. Tap into the bigger picture. Connect the dots between your action and what's happening to the entire working class. Imagine a world without bosses.

Those are some tips on how to #strike from one rank-and-file BVWU member!

Fellow workers in the @IWW and elsewhere: please retweet whatever stands out to you and flesh it out with your advice. There are not enough resources out there and people need to learn quick.

@bayareabrrn @PortlandIWW @PortlandDSA @IGD_News @BootsRiley @FlyingWithSara @rsgexp @foodchainworker @fightfor15 @ArtandLaborPod @OrganizingWork @StardustFamilyU @VoodooWorkers @WestVirginiaIWW @IWWSouSouGenEdU @IWW_IWOC @libcomorg @SymbiosisRev @CooperationJXN @ILWULocal5

@KBOO @JwJpdx @jwjnational @SpreadtheStrike @PopMobPDX @payusmoreucsc @Joshua4Congress @TrueAnonPod @StreetFightWCRS @IWWSouSouGenEdU @IWWFJU @GrimKim @People4Bernie @dsa_lsc @DemSocialists @AutonomousUnion @TANCBay @WholeWorkerWFM @dgorganize @gsworkersunion

ADDENDUM:

• Another useful tool is a "strike pledge": a document where workers put in their names to signal their commitment to strike. This is a good way to ensure workers are clearly and explicitly committing to strike action.