If there's one thing everyone here agrees on, it's the need for class solidarity and better conditions. There are a lot of posts about unionization, which is awesome to see. I joined the local carpenters union in 2019, and many trade unions really are having trouble finding people to work, despite good pay and benefits.
In my apprentice class there were 120-some to start, and 43 failed the drug test, which we had a month's notice of. My specific class of 12 was down to 7 after six months. I was in Mill/Cabinet, so 1st year apprentice was $19/hour + health, pension, 401k. Journeymen made about double, total package at over $50/hour.
But the thing is, I encountered a lot of racism, anti-union sentiment, and overall hardcore conservatism in the shops I worked at. Nobody in any part of leadership spoke Spanish. They literally could not bring people in fast enough to replace yearly retiring workers, and trade unions are exactly where workers can take control.
So, how many trade union members here? Working in a trade without a union? I'm in the Northeast, so obviously more union-friendly than a lot of other places. Didn't come to advertise or anything, but if you're feeling lack of purpose, getting paid to learn and practice a really cool skill isn't bad. I met a lot of great people, got guidance, and am now way more handy at home. Also lost 30 lbs in my first 6 months working.
From an anti-work standpoint, you can only seize the means of production if you're operating them in the first place. I worked in one relatively small shop, and they did anywhere from $3-6 Million of business per month. If you look at the strikes that have generated societal change (for good or bad), they're electrical workers, transportation, garbage collectors. If Walmart workers can unionize, that's a big win. But if their truckers refuse to deliver in solidarity? People will flip out, it'll be national & local news, asked at political press conferences. But I just don't think there are enough members of the cause in trade unions today.