Seattle launch of Workers Strike Back a huge success
By Joan Wright, Workers Strike Back. Published March 16, 2023
“When we fight, we win!” chanted hundreds of people at the Seattle Workers Strike Back launch rally on March 4. An impressive panel of union workers, socialists, and anti-oppression activists from Seattle, across the country, and even internationally, spoke to a crowded Kane Hall at the University of Washington.
Workers Strike Back coalesced around five demands, including a $25 minimum wage, free healthcare for all, and a new, multiracial, working-class party. The movement has already helped win an historic victory around the demand to fight racism, sexism and oppression with the first-in-the-nation ban on caste discrimination led by Kshama Sawant’s socialist city council office in Seattle. At the rally, Raghav Kaushik, an anti-caste oppression activist, shared how the victory was won through a fighting, multi-racial, working class movement, “The fight against all oppression is linked and that is one of the core principles behind Workers Strike Back.” Democratic politicians attempted to kill or undermine the legislation, but most bent to pressure from the movement to vote yes.
To win similar victories, many rally speakers raised the urgent demand for a new, independent, workers party. Nina Wurz, local union carpenter, shared how during the recent carpenters strike Seattle's Democrats and business unionists failed to support workers against corrupt union leadership. “It’s time to take back our unions and make them the democratic militant unions they should be. It’s time for a workers party, it’s time for workers to strike back!” she cheered as the crowd erupted in applause. Co-founder of the Revolutionary Blackout Network Nick Cruse agreed and explained how both mainstream parties are beholden to business interests and that people need solidarity organized in a new party: “Workers Strike Back is so important to give people an alternative to this rigged, electoral politics game.”
Waves of strikes are growing not just in the US, but internationally, most notably in England where 1.5 million workers were on strike last month. Mike Forster spoke about how Enough is Enough in England is playing an important role organizing the strikes, but risks stalling out by straining to preserve its hopeless relationship with the thoroughly sold-out Labour Party rather than organize independently under a new party.
Workers both unionized and unorganized from Seattle spoke about the need for unions to fight back against business unionism with clear, bold demands and be prepared to go on strike to win them. Local Seattle union workers from UAW, UFCW, NEA, WFSE, and more took to the stage to explain next steps in their fights for wages that keep up with inflation, workplace safety, and union democracy. The launch showed a glimpse of what's possible when workers have a place to discuss lessons and strategy for rebuilding a fighting labor movement.
The rally drew union workers from across the country too, such as Starbucks and Amazon workers from Illinois and Kentucky. A Starbucks worker from Evanston shared how their store just won their union vote unanimously.
Griffin Ritze, a worker from Amazon KCVG in Northern Kentucky, spoke about the crucial union drive at their facility, at the largest Amazon Air Hub in the world, fighting for $30 an hour and 180 hours Paid Time Off, and the union-busting campaign being waged by Amazon against them. The crowd rose in a standing ovation when he spoke to the militant union they were building at Amazon, “Every time Amazon goes on the offensive we fight back twice as hard!”
The launch rally was an exciting beginning to kickstart the movement and win more victories. The rally raised an inspiring $41,000 dollars to organize actions, support the Amazon KCVG job defense campaign, and launch a video broadcast called On Strike. The broadcast will be hosted by socialist Councilmember Kshama Sawant, who has led the movement to major victories in Seattle, including the first $15 minimum wage in a major city, the Amazon Tax for affordable housing, and landmark renters rights.
People are getting involved not just with donations, but also by signing up for action. More than 200 action sign ups were pledged at the rally, such as getting involved with the Unionize Amazon Week of Action, demanding an end to Amazon’s union busting, and building for a protest at the Amazon Spheres, which will take place on March 25 at 11am. This adds to the more than 6,000 working people around the country who have signed up with Workers Strike Back. “An injury to one is an injury to all!” roared the crowd to close out the rally.
