# OWS plans "General Strike" for May Day
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 27, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126 "2012-04-27T13:34:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/1 "2012-04-27T13:34:34Z")
[Yes, May Day.](http://occupywallst.org/article/may-day/) (Why do Americans have to put Labor Day in September anyway?!)
> [@](#):
>
> While American corporate media has focused on yet another stale election between Wall Street-financed candidates, Occupy has been organizing something extraordinary: the first truly nationwide General Strike in U.S. history. Building on the international celebration of May Day, past General Strikes in U.S. cities like Seattle and Oakland, the recent May 1st Day Without An Immigrant demonstrations, the national general strikes in Spain this year, and the on-going student strike in Quebec, the Occupy Movement has called for A Day Without the 99% on May 1st, 2012. This in and of itself is a tremendous victory. For the first time, workers, students, immigrants, and the unemployed from over 125 U.S. cities will stand together for economic justice.
Well, I won’t be participating, because I’m a lawyer and there’s just too much to get done around the office right now to take an arbitrary day off . . . How about you?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/2 "2012-04-27T13:44:03Z")
If I could take a political stand and go see “The Avengers” at the same time I might consider it. As it is, though…
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/3 "2012-04-27T13:46:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> For the first time, workers, students, immigrants, and the unemployed from over 125 U.S. cities will stand together for economic justice.
I plan to go to work and earn my paycheck, which I see as economic justice for both me and my boss.
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/4 "2012-04-27T14:37:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> …the Occupy Movement has called for A Day Without the 99% on May 1st, 2012. This in and of itself is a tremendous victory. For the first time, workers, students, immigrants, and the unemployed from over 125 U.S. cities will stand together for economic justice.
Good thing they aren’t waiting until anyone gives a tin shit before declaring victory.
I wonder how the unemployed go on strike. Do they stop looking for jobs? Stop collecting unemployment?
Well, good luck to them with their strike. Hope their feelings aren’t hurt if people say, “What strike?”
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/5 "2012-04-27T14:44:04Z")
Somebody always calls for a general strike every May 1 in Berkeley. :bored smiley: usually while sitting around a coffee place staffed by people who cannot afford to take the day off.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/6 "2012-04-27T14:45:34Z")
SOLIDARITY!!!
I will not be at work on May Day!
Of course, I’ve already schedule that week off for vacation, but it’s the principle of the thing.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/7 "2012-04-27T15:02:55Z")
Working 7-5.
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### Author:  [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/8 "2012-04-27T15:17:12Z")
I will be going to work that day as a political statement. F\*\*\* OWS.
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/9 "2012-04-27T15:19:20Z")
Not exactly manning the barricades at Les Halles, but I do expect to be fucking off while reading the Dope as much as possible that day.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/10 "2012-04-27T15:33:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#):
>
> I wonder how the unemployed go on strike. Do they stop looking for jobs? Stop collecting unemployment?
March?
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/11 "2012-04-27T15:50:27Z")
I was really skeptical of the original OWS strategy, but it worked. People became aware of the general political message, and many people ended up sympathizing to some extent with people that they’d rather not sit next to on the bus.
But a general strike? Give me a break. This is a terrible suggestion. It is like a Trotskyist and a French labor leader got together and decided that Americans love to strike… While totally ignoring that Americans tend to have very little interest or sympathy for strikers.
I predict fail.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/12 "2012-04-27T16:06:41Z")
Occupy this.
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### Author:  [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/13 "2012-04-27T16:17:56Z")
i will join the droves of people that will be showing support by going to work as usual and totally forgetting about this.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/14 "2012-04-27T16:24:26Z")
I may be off that day, but it won’t be because I agree with OWS. My sister is scheduled to have her baby that day.
Course it looks like she’s in labor now, so who knows.
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### Author:  [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/15 "2012-04-27T16:27:31Z")
My natural sympathies would be to join the strike, however:
[ol]
[li]I’m on call for jury duty next week; if I get called up, I’d have to miss work at least one day. If that day happens to be Tuesday, I will go to jury duty – they can arrest you for not going, whereas if I don’t show up at work, I still get paid.[/li][li]I’m scheduled for heart surgery on May 14, which will take me out of the office for at least three weeks.[/li][li]I’m pretty much out of vacation time anyway, having taken it all back in March.[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/16 "2012-04-27T16:30:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> I was really skeptical of the original OWS strategy, but it worked. People became aware of the general political message, and many people ended up sympathizing to some extent with people that they’d rather not sit next to on the bus.
It did? Maybe it’s just me, but I have not noticed one iota of difference from last year. Certainly \*I \*don’t give more of a fuck about shit than I used to.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/17 "2012-04-27T16:45:47Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> I was really skeptical of the original OWS strategy, but it worked. People became aware of the general political message, and many people ended up sympathizing to some extent with people that they’d rather not sit next to on the bus.
>
> But a general strike? Give me a break. This is a terrible suggestion. It is like a Trotskyist and a French labor leader got together and decided that Americans love to strike… While totally ignoring that Americans tend to have very little interest or sympathy for strikers.
>
> I predict fail.
I agree. The demonstrations were getting public attention so they were working in that sense. But this call for a general strike is going to fail massively and will make the movement look out of touch. And there’s probably some truth in that - the fact that some leaders in the movement apparently thought they had the level of public support that would support a general strike does show signs of being out of touch with what the general public thinks. It makes me wonder whose idea this was.
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### Author:  [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/18 "2012-04-27T17:40:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> (Why do Americans have to put Labor Day in September anyway?!)
I think it’s because May Day was associated with the[Haymarket Massacre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair) here. Labor groups in the US wanted to distance themselves from anarchists after they were blamed for the incident.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/19 "2012-04-27T18:11:21Z")
The Washington Post didn’t even _mention_ the recent Occupy the Justice Department rally. The movement is a spent force.
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ows-plans-general-strike-for-may-day/620126/20 "2012-04-27T18:11:29Z")
> [@Eve](#):
>
> I plan to go to work and earn my paycheck, which I see as economic justice for both me and my boss.
+1
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