Group organizing a national labor strike

A decentralized group, GeneralStrike.us, is organizing a generalized national labor strike in the U.S. in an effort to force significant changes aimed at benefitting hard working, underpaid Americans who are struggling to stay afloat due to low wages and escalating costs of living. The appeal to join the strike is going out to all workers including, but not limited to teachers, fast food workers, drivers, gig workers, waiters, actors, artists, athletes, retail and grocery store workers and more.

GeneralStrike.us says “Our greatest power is our labor and our right to refuse it,” and “We are not one singular organization. We are a network of regular people united by our shared values, committed to a general strike to radically change our country.”

GeneralStrike.us is first getting commitments to participate from 3.5% of the country’s working population, or about 11 million workers across the country, before setting a date for the strike. The reason for this number, according to GeneralStrike.us, is because research shows strikes that engage a threshold of 3.5% of the population have “never failed to bring about change.” Research also shows nonviolent civil resistance has brought about twice as much change as violent movements.

Broad demands for the strike include living wages, higher minimum wages, universal healthcare, paid family and medical leave, affordable housing, workers’ rights, higher taxes for the wealthy, racial justice, climate action, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigration reform, gun safety, disability rights, voters rights and more.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, unchanged since 2009

The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour and it has not been increased since 2009.

States can have their own minimum wage laws. As of January 1, 2025 in Colorado, the state minimum wage is $14.81/hour for non-tipped employees and $11.79/hour for tipped employees. Some municipalities, like Denver, Boulder and Edgewater (near Sloan’s Lake in Denver), have higher minimum wages. 

But according to a living wage calculator created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a living wage for two working parents with two children who live in Grand Junction, Colorado is $25.66/hour per worker. Poverty-level wage is $7.50/hour. According to a posting by Kroger on its jobs website, a part time produce clerk at City Market on 12th Street in Grand Junction earns $17-$21/hour. 

Currently almost 200,000 people have committed to the strike, with a goal of 10,800,209.

To participate in, or get email and text updates on progress of the general strike and when it will happen, the group asks people to fill out a Strike Card at this link. 

You can see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the strike here.

Landing page for the website of GeneralStrike.us

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