Minnesota 50501 is actively organizing towards implementing a general strike with our local and national partners. We believe that a general strike is one of the most powerful nonviolent tools available. However, success requires immense planning, a vast coalition of like-minded groups, funds to sustain striking workers, and a national network of mutual aid organizations.
We need your help.
Below you’ll find information about how to get involved, a history of successful general strikes, our new general strike fund, and more.
Do you work with an organization or union interested in joining the general strike coalition? Email us at generalstrike@mn50501.org
Are you interested in helping organize? Join our General Strike Team.
Want to support the strike financially? Donate to our General Strike Fund here.
WHAT IS A GENERAL STRIKE?
A general strike (sometimes called a "social strike") is a coordinated work stoppage from many sectors to make demands of those in power. Targeted boycotts, school walk-outs, and blockades can be part of the tactics of a general strike.
Some examples of demands might be:
Abolish and prosecute ICE/DHS
Removal of specific authorities from power
Implement ranked choice voting statewide
End Citizen’s United
Establish proportional representation
Implement universal healthcare and universal basic income
Tax the rich
Ban AI data centers
Yes! Some examples of successful general strikes are:
The 1835 Philadelphia general strike, which jumpstarted the labor movement in North America.
The Oakland General Strike and the strikes around the country in 1946, which led to the Taft-Hartley act of 1947.
The 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters Strike, which won union recognition and wage increases amid a violent police response that later became known as Bloody Friday.
1980's general strikes and "stay-aways" in South Africa organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) crippled the apartheid economy, sparking political reform, worker's rights laws, and eventually, the abolition of apartheid South Africa.
General strikes in Poland in 1980 organized by the olidarność (Solidarity) trade union led to worker's rights, right-to-strike laws, and the eventual end of authoritarian communism.
The General Strike Minnesota carried out on January 23rd, 2026.
A history of international general strikes ranked by their effectiveness.
HAVE THERE BEEN SUCCESSFUL GENERAL STRIKES?
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED IN ORGANIZING TOWARDS A GENERAL STRIKE?
Join Minnesota 50501's General Strike Team.
We also organize with several other groups working towards implementing a general strike such as May Day Strong, Strike Ready Corps, People's Action Coalition Against Trump, Minnesota Workers United, and many labor unions statewide.
general strike FUND
Mn50501 has seeded $10,000 for Minnesota's first ever public general strike fund and invites you to contribute.
What’s a strike fund?
A strike fund is a financial reserve typically set up by a union with the intention of supporting workers financially during a strike.
Mn50501’s general strike fund is unique in that it is a public fund designed to:
Support workers that aren’t already in union-protected jobs.
Implement and sustain the logistical aspects of a general strike.
Mn50501 is working closely with our labor partners to strategize on how best to utilize our general strike fund and welcomes your suggestions. We are in the process of creating an application form for striking workers who are interested in receiving financial support. Any unused funds will be donated to local Minnesota unions; please contact us if your union is interested in receiving them.
Email us at generalstrike@mn50501.org with any questions or suggestions.
Donate to the Mn50501 General Strike Fund here.
Please include a memo or note that says "for the general strike fund".