Is America experiencing an unofficial general strike? - Robert Reich

[BeckyDem]

Wed 13 Oct 2021



Across the country, people are refusing to return to backbreaking or mind-numbing low-wage jobs

Last Friday’s jobs report from the US Department of Labor elicited a barrage of gloomy headlines. The New York Times emphasized “weak” jobs growth and fretted that “hiring challenges that have bedeviled employers all year won’t be quickly resolved,” and “rising wages could add to concerns about inflation.” For CNN, it was “another disappointment”. For Bloomberg the “September jobs report misses big for a second straight month”.

The media failed to report the big story, which is actually a very good one: American workers are now flexing their muscles for the first time in decades.

You might say workers have declared a national general strike until they get better pay and improved working conditions.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/13/american-workers-general-strike-robert-reich

( Yes! )

[SheltieLover]

1. I've been wondering

Whether many have reevaluated their priorities, perhaps realizing covid to be too big of a threat to stay on the dead-end treadmill of low-wage jobs.

[BeckyDem]

3. Agree, that is part of it.

Long overdue for Americans to examine where they are, and where they want to be for the foreseeable future.

[mopinko]

7. it's not just low wage workers.

i had a chat w a friend who owns 2 wildly successful (in normal times) restaurants.
he managed to survive by adapting to carry outs, but has had a hell of a year and a half.
he said- i have to wonder what it's all for. i'm tired. i need some time off.

the trauma of the last 4 years, w a plague on top, is changing the dynamics of pretty much everything.

[Hortensis]

2. It's too much to say workers have declared a national strike, though,

not when they have not.

Undoubtedly wages and benefits for many jobs are not adequate to draw people back into the work force. That's the classic definition of wages too low for the market.

This is virtually guaranteed to be one of the factors involved in this very unusual situation, and being so widespread it may share some of the effects of a national general strike.

But ONLY risking one's job backed by conviction, the courage to fight and possibly lose, and with goals of job improvement is a strike.

One thing this does also clearly show, besides wages currently too low to replace departing workers with new, btw, is that people have various kinds of cushions to fall back on that are enabling their ability to delay their return to the workforce.

[BeckyDem]

5. I don't see anything vague about it.

In a trend being dubbed as the Great Resignation, the pandemic has triggered an employee exodus that continues today as people quit their jobs in record numbers. In June alone, 3.9 million workers resigned from their jobs nationwide, just down slightly from the record of 4 million set in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, job openings rose by 590,000 to a new high of 10.1 million positions.
https://www.rgj.com/story/news/money/business/2021/09/02/great-resignation-why-people-not-returning-work/5661302001/


The efforts of the GOP to thwart recovery will continue but Biden has, despite some who keep pointing at his poll numbers declining, the good will of these very voters..they want his agenda, today.

Nice to see you, btw.

[genxlib]

4. I don't understand the surprise about the slower than expected recovery

In June, COVID trends were looking good and a summer of pent up demand was breaking loose.

In August/September, COVID came back with a vengeance.

Why is it so hard to understand that this had an impact on how people responded?

Some of it is renewed caution with how people are going out and about but some of it downright structural to the economy. It is hard for people to work when their kids could get sent home for 2 weeks at a moments notice.

[brooklynite]

6. Of course not

An economic strike implies that you would come back to work when economic conditions improve. People today are choosing to move to a different job which better values their labor. That’s capitalism.

[SoonerPride]

8. Maybe we are at full employment.

Those that want to work are working.

Those who don't wish to work are doing something they value more than giving up 70% of their waking time to someone else for money.

[ananda]

9. Is this how companies/employers get Biden's numbers down?

Poor employment growth looks bad, and if the economy
falters, Biden will get blamed.

Then, if Reeps win big in 22 and 24, it's all over for workers
anyway.

Talk me down. I don't even like saying this, but hell, that
is the Reep MO.

[BeckyDem]

11. Imho, these are the voters/citizens that support Biden's agenda.

The cons always try to thwart that success, so we'll see.

[Iggo]

10. I think I'd call it a de facto general strike.

Or maybe an unwitting general strike.

General in nature, if not in intent.