Fuckin gottem.

Well, when you figure out why exactly you want to do it, when you want to do it, and who all should be involved, build off of that with actionable steps. The why is the most important as you need to be able to communicate exactly what it is your demands are and what will be considered satisfactory to end the strike not only to those you need to negotiate with, but with those you want to participate and as a message to the public. Make a realistic ‘when’ so that you have a deadline and something concrete to work with. The who needs to be quantifiable. Do you want a certain percentage of workers participating before you start? Get a number and stick with it.

The main thing to keep in mind is to communicate with others and yourself in clear and actionable steps. Asking someone to strike with you? What does their role looks like? What will they be doing? When will they be doing it? What resources will be provided to them? Found your way to the negotiating table? What are your demands? What will you not compromise on? What are you willing to compromise on? Do you have someone who understands corporate lawyerspeak that can translate for you? Do you have a reliable way to effectively communicate the results of negotiations with the participating workers?

I think it’s better to try and start this yourself. Find like-minded people at work to help delegate out the tasks needed to organize and sustain the strike. As you organize, you might have certain organizations reach out to provide assistance, which would be great, but plan on doing it all yourself. Afterall, the movement is about empowering the workers, and what could be more empowering than having come together to do this yourselves?

I’m struggling with answering this question. I mean, obviously, I don’t know. I could give an opinion on what I think is most likely to happen, but what does it matter? Like, legitimately, what does it matter? And I do mean it earnestly, what would it matter even if I just so happened to be right about my speculation?

We all certainly hope that 2025 will be better. But I think the important thing to remember is that 2025 being better is possible. In fact, I used to be a homophobic ultra-conservative fundamentalist Christian bigot. In my remorse over the person I used to be, I noticed I felt shame rather than self-righteousness over my condemnation of people just being who they are. In my longing to undo the evil I committed in the past, I realized I have the opportunity to fight for good, even if it means fighting what feels like my own reflection. I got better. I still have a ways to go and even more internalized prejudice I need to demolish, but at least I know getting better is possible, because I did it before goddammit. And if a dickhead like me can be better, can’t we all?

And even if things just turn to absolute shit, I know I can at least make my tiny corner of the world a little bit brighter if I can make myself better. And you know what? I think it’s good enough for me to know that I can start doing something about that right now. Afterall, as Marcus Aurelius would say to himself; It is up to you!