Why decentralized communication, not just strike votes, determines our real power.

Strikes don’t come from nowhere. They aren’t just a vote. They aren’t a speech. They’re what happens when thousands of people already know each other, trust each other, and move together. A strike is just one visible moment in a longer process of collaboration and shared direction.

That kind of power doesn’t build itself. It takes time. And we don’t get there by waiting until bargaining starts or leadership makes a call. We get there now or we don’t get there at all.

So let’s be clear: The foundation of real worker power is connection.

Connection looks like:

• Tight communication loops that don’t rely on union staff
• Friend groups that know when and how to take action
• Members who share timing, language, and purpose
• Workers who can coordinate without needing permission

When that’s in place, strikes work. Walkouts work. Solidarity actions work. Without it, none of those things land.

During actions, if the halls and job sites are empty and the streets are full, we’ve taken back the power.

That only happens when we control the message. The state already has their version. The media has theirs. Our employers definitely have one. The only question is whether we’ve done the work to get ours out first, louder, and in a voice our coworkers recognize as their own.

Popular opinion isn’t static. It’s shaped. And we’re the ones who shape it if we’re organized enough to speak in unison.

Start with this:

Ask one co-worker if they saw this email. If they didn’t, send them to www.wpea.org/update so they stop missing critical updates. Then, forward this email to them. Don’t assume someone else will tell them. Most people hear nothing unless someone like you says something.

Get one person into Discord. Even if that means joining yourself. Discord is our fastest-growing tool for coordination with over 300 members already on board. It’s built for rapid response and easy updates. We just dropped a new walkthrough video to make joining simple: www.wpea.org/discord

Strike readiness is a byproduct.

If we’re doing the work to build strong local connections, develop leadership, and align our messaging, we’ll be strike-ready when it matters. That’s not the goal. It’s the signal that we’re doing everything else right.

This is the moment. Not next year. Not when a vote happens. Not when someone else tells you what to do.

If every member brought one more person into the loop this week, we’d double our power. If they did it again next week, we’d become unignorable. This isn’t theory. It’s math.

Let’s build the communication web we actually need. Because when it’s time to act, we won’t have time to build it then.