Socialist Alternative branches in the Twin Cities are going ALL OUT to build for the biggest possible strike on January 23. We’re mobilizing in our unions and workplaces to get all our coworkers out, we’re organizing our neighborhood groups to take part in the strike, and we’re out in the community talking to everyone we can. Since the beginning of Trump’s term, we’ve raised the need for the working class to take mass workplace action to escalate the movement against Trump’s reactionary agenda. Workers across the Twin Cities are excited to take action, so we need to use every day we have to get organized! Here’s what we’ve been up to all week:
SHUT DOWN ICE Mega-Canvasses
Over 35 Socialist Alternative members and community members canvassed the worst-hit Minneapolis neighborhoods over several days. In single-digit temperatures, we put up 1000 posters and handed out 3000 leaflets, stopping to talk to residents on every block. People honked horns in support, pulled over to talk and grab posters for their workplaces, and were excited to spread the word about 1/23. Canvassers even received solidarity donations of supplies and handwarmers along the way.
Far-Right Activist Jake Lang SHUT DOWN By Counter-Protest!
In an embarrassing showing for the Trump-pardoned Jan 6 rioter Jake Lang, only 12 of his followers turned out for their racist attempt to invade Cedar-Riverside, the largest Somali neighborhood in Minneapolis. On the other hand, we joined hundreds of counter-protesters to crowd out Lang’s hatred, easily outnumbering them 20:1.
Letter Carriers Demand “Protect Our Routes! Get ICE Out!”
300 postal workers, bus drivers, educators, and members of the community took the streets to demand ICE off of postal postal property and postal routes. Socialist Alternative members joined the rally, including former president of ATU Local 1005 Ryan Timlin, who delivered an electrifying speech!
Massive SAlt Organizing Meeting On How To Sick-Out Your Workplace!
90 Twin Cities workers came to La Doña Cervecería on Monday night to learn how to organize sick-outs in their workplaces for the 23rd. Labor activists from Socialist Alternative, and from the broader labor movement, spoke on the need for a strike to defeat ICE, and discussed strategy to organize whole workplace sick-outs on Friday.
Then, we held breakout groups to discuss how to overcome workers’ real-life obstacles to organizing at their workplace. Workers from a wide array of industries and companies—teachers, letter carriers, bus drivers, building trades workers, state workers, restaurant workers, non-profit workers, and workers from Trader Joes, Starbucks, and Target—left with materials and plans to organize their workplace to sick-out in solidarity with immigrants.
Neighborhood Group Mass Meeting To Defend Against ICE
SAlt members and supporters built a 1/23 strike committee at a neighborhood mass meeting which had 500+ neighbors in attendance. Our committee called for the meeting to have democratic structures and build for the 1/23 strike. We also turned our committee into a group chat to help neighbors organize sick-outs in their neighborhoods and to plaster the city in strike signs.
Join Socialist Alternative!
Socialist Alternative is a revolutionary organization that believes capitalism is a failed system. But we don’t just talk—we organize and fight to change the world. For us, the horrors of the Trump regime and the injustices of our bosses are rooted in the relentless drive for profit of the billionaire class. We struggle alongside our class—the working class—for every concession we can win from the capitalists. We strive to build the fighting capacity of the movement. But we know that ultimately we need to strike at the root of the system, to build a movement capable of overthrowing capitalism and laying the basis for a socialist world. If you agree, you should join us!
If you’re in the Twin Cities, join us on:
- Thursday 1/22 @ 8PM for a Zoom call on prepare for flyering with SAlt on 1/23
- Friday 1/23—STRIKE: 10AM at MSP Airport and 2PM at the Commons
- Sunday 1/25 @ 2PM @ the Labor Center to discuss After The Strike—What’s Next?