This article is an opinion piece whose contents represent the standpoint of its author and not UPF Lund or The Perspective’s editorial board.
Since operation “Metro Surge” started in Minnesota last December, two American citizens have been killed by ICE agents. As dissent for the operations grows in Minneapolis and the rest of the U.S., unions and worker organisations have pushed for general strikes across the country.
Traditionally, a general strike is when workers across multiple sectors come together and stop working to strengthen the bargaining position of a union. However, with the events taking place in Minnesota, this definition is changing. General strikes are increasingly becoming a tool for achieving large political and social goals, not just better working conditions. All people are encouraged to stop shopping, working, and even going to school. From being a tool in employee-employer relations, it’s now being used by communities disagreeing with federal policy.
To grasp the significance of the strikes in Minnesota, it is important to understand that unions in America are historically weak. After an extraordinary wave of major strikes in the U.S. between 1945-46, the Taft-Hartley act was introduced. It included major new regulations for unions and effectively killed the opportunity for workers to go out in sympathy or general strikes.
It also granted states the right to enact “right-to-work” laws, which significantly damaged union membership and is still a major factor as to why some states today have lower membership rates than others. To put their numbers into context, the highest percentage recorded in a U.S. state today is 26.5%, while the rate in Sweden, a country with a strong union culture, is around 70%.
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The difference in union membership rates in “right-to-work” states and those with “closed shop” agreements. (Source: nrtw org & Madison Hoff at Insider)
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The globalization of the economy, leading to outsourced jobs, has also weakened the positions of domestic unions, especially in fields previously known for their high membership rates, like the steel and auto industries.
We have seen collective action outside of the traditional union structures before. On May 1 of 2006, over a million people took to the streets to show what “A Day Without Immigrants” would look like. This was in response to political reforms raising penalties for undocumented immigration, toughening border control and limiting the routes to citizenship for those already inside the country.
Since 2020, the number of protests in the U.S. has been increasing and getting larger. It is estimated that of the five biggest protests in U.S. history, two took place last year. All were in opposition to the Trump administration. Although these were not union-led movements and did not include work stoppage, they display a desire for change and a willingness to act.
Today, the organisation “The General Strike” is trying to gather around 11 million signups, roughly 3.5% of the U.S. population, from people who are willing to leave work when called upon. When they have reached this number, they will issue a nationwide strike. The 3.5% mark isn’t random; a Harvard study of protests found that campaigns that reach the 3.5% mark of active participants almost always bring about serious political change.
The General Strike thinks it is necessary to have action behind the demands. For real change, they believe the most powerful tool of the collective is the withdrawal of labor.
With the Minnesota momentum and general displeasure at the current U.S. administration, the “No Kings” movement has planned a new day of protest on March 28. It is expected to be the biggest yet, with an estimated turnout of around 9 million people. Arguably, this isn’t an unlikely figure, as it has been proven that people who have participated in a protest once are more likely to show up for the next one.
Though the line can be blurry, there is still a difference between strikes and protests. The question of whether all these protestors are also willing to leave work for what they believe in remains unanswered. But if the protests continue to grow at the current rate, it won’t be long before it reaches that coveted 3.5% mark. Regardless, we’re seeing an unprecedented amount of collective action in the U.S. right now. Whatever constellation people organize in, it may not be long before they can start reaping what they’ve sown.
By Nicolai Wetlesen
February 17, 2026
