What Is The 'September 1st General Strike' Proposed By TikTokers? The Arguments For And Against The Cause Explained

Rising costs of living and diminishing wages have pushed several American industries to strike in recent months, with the SAG-AFSTRA and WGA Hollywood strikes well underway and several auto and industrial unions threatening to strike in the coming weeks. TikTok users have taken note of such tensions and responded with the idea of hosting a strike of their own.

But what are people striking for, when are they striking and why? Also, does everyone support such a move? Here's everything you need to know about the discourse surrounding a September 1st, 2023 General Strike as proposed by TikTokers.

What Is A General Strike And Who First Posted About Organising One On September 1st, 2023?

A general strike is when workers from a range of different industries take it upon themselves to stop work for a given period of time in order to achieve better pay, working conditions, or similar economic and political objectives. A "general strike" as proposed by various TikTokers encourages people from any industry to take time off work or not call into work on September 1st, 2023, as a means to show solidarity with workers across the country.

While it is unclear who first proposed a General Strike on September 1st, 2023, the above TikTokers @kawanee.h and @ascendwlana are some early popular and notable examples of people calling for such an event.

What Did Other TikTokers Think About The Idea To Strike On September 1st?

While some TikTokers wholly agreed with the idea to strike on September 1st, others agreed with some doubts and caveats. Some feelings about such a move revolved around worries about the pressure some people might feel to strike when their job cannot allow it, while others might simply be able to call out from their corporate positions.

Other people were more emphatic about their support for the strike, calling attention to deteriorating quality of life around the world, and the need to take some kind of action.

What Are Some Criticisms Of The Proposed September 1st, 2023 General Strike?

TikToker @cancelthisclothingco posted a compelling criticism of the proposed September 1st strike, calling it disorganized and aimless. After digging into the alleged website for the protest, "generalstrikeus.com," @cancelthisclothingco criticizes the lack of partners and lack of leadership displayed on the website and notes that the website itself is too vague on its affiliations, and doesn't even mention September 1st as a possible strike date. Instead, the website claims that "once we have accumulated 11M Strike Cards or 3.5% of the US population and we know we can win."

For the full history of general strike, September 1st, 2023, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.