总罢工可能可以溯源到古罗马时期的Secessio plebis (直译为“分裂”)。 在《世界史纲》中,威尔斯写道:“(它是古罗马)平民的大罢工;平民似乎已经发明了罢工,现在它终于在历史中登场。”[1]他们第一次罢工的发生是由于他们“愤怒地看到他们的朋友,在军团中常勇敢地服务于国家,却因贵族债权人的要求而陷入束缚,沦为奴隶。”[1]
在1966年,在一项对革命社会主义的研究中,胡佛战争、革命与和平研究所 (一个保守派/自由主义智庫)的Milorad M. Drachkovitch(英语:Milorad M. Drachkovitch),注意到两种斗争策略,它划分了19世纪末20世纪初的无政府主义者与社会主义者:对于选举政治,社会主义者会选择参与而无政府主义者通常反对之;总罢工,作为一种防止战争的机制,无政府主义者会选择支持而社会主义者则拒绝为其背书。[33]
比尔·海伍德(英语:Bill Haywood)认为,产业工团主义使大罢工成为可能,而总罢工使工业民主成为可能。[44] 根据他们自己的理论(英语:Industrial Workers of the World philosophy and tactics),传统的罢工是改善劳动人民的工资、工时和工作条件的重要武器(但不是唯一的武器)。这些罢工也是一种良好的训练,可以帮助工人自我教育什么是阶级斗争,以及为实现工业民主而最终执行总罢工需要做些什么。[47] 在最后的大罢工期间,工人们不会走出他们的商店、工厂、矿场和工厂,而会占用他们的工作场所并将它们据为己有。[45]在采取行动启动工业民主之前,工人需要通过技术和管理知识进行自我教育,以便经营工业。[45]
根据劳工历史学家Philip S. Foner的说法,IWW理论家故意没有详细介绍“工业民主”的概念;从这个意义上说,细节留给了“未来社会的发展”。[48]但是,某些概念是隐含的。工业民主将是“(建立在)旧的外壳中的新社会”。[49]工会成员教育自己按照民主原则经营工业,没有现有的等级所有权与管理结构;生产和分配等问题将由工人自己管理。[47]
1927年,IWW呼吁在全国范围内进行为期三天的罢工——也就是一次示威性的总罢工,抗议对无政府主义者尼古拉·萨科和巴托洛梅奥·万泽蒂(英语:Sacco and Vanzetti)的处决。[50]最引人注目的回应是在科罗拉多州的沃尔森堡煤矿区,那里的1132名矿工停工,只有35人上班,[51]这样的参与率直接引发了1927年的科罗拉多州煤矿罢工。
1919年6月,AFL全国组织在新泽西州大西洋城举行的会议上通过决议,反对总罢工。这些诉讼的官方报告将该公约描述为该组织“最大的、也很有可能是通过的最重要的公约”(largest and in all probability the most important Convention ever held),在一定程度上通过粉碎“大联盟”的主张来“压倒性地击败所谓的激进分子”;同时也是为了通过“超过20比1的投票”来击败全国总罢工的提议。”[53] AFL修改其宪法,禁止任何中央工会(即地区劳工委员会) )“未经有关工会国家官员事先批准而进行罢工投票”。[53]这一变化旨在“检查总罢工情绪的蔓延,并防止西雅图发生的事件再次发生,现在正在温尼伯进行。”[53]任何未经授权的罢工投票的处罚都是撤销该机构的章程。[53]
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 1, From Colonial Times to the Founding of The American Federation of Labor, International Publishers, 1975, pages 116–118
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 82
Ralph Chaplin, The General Strike, Pamphlet, Industrial Workers of the World, 1933 (from the 1985 republication of this pamphlet), Archived copy. [2011-04-08]. (原始内容存档于6 October 2008). retrieved 8 April 2011
Stephen Naft, The Social General Strike, Debating Club No. 1, Chicago, June 1905, pages 5–6, translated from the German language pamphlet of the same name by Arnold Roller
Stephen Naft, The Social General Strike, Debating Club No. 1, Chicago, June 1905, page 6, translated from the German language pamphlet of the same name by Arnold Roller
Stephen Naft, The Social General Strike, Debating Club No. 1, Chicago, June 1905, page 7, translated from the German language pamphlet of the same name by Arnold Roller
Stephen Naft, The Social General Strike, Debating Club No. 1, Chicago, June 1905, page 8, translated from the German language pamphlet of the same name by Arnold Roller
Stephen Naft, The Social General Strike, Debating Club No. 1, Chicago, June 1905, page 9, translated from the German language pamphlet of the same name by Arnold Roller
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 81
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 83
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, pages 82–83
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864–1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, pages 99–100
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864–1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 99. His actual term was "mutually exclusive."
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 100
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 4, The Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1917, International Publishers, 1997, page 18
Thomas J. Hagerty and W. E. Trautmann, One Big Union, An Outline of a Possible Industrial Organization of the Working Class, with Chart, 1st edition, Charles H. Kerr & Company, 1911.
Milorad M. Drachkovitch, The revolutionary internationals, 1864-1943, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University Press, 1966, page 84
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 4, The Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1917, International Publishers, 1997, page 140
Bill Haywood, The General Strike (Chicago, n.d.), pamphlet, published by Industrial Workers of the World, from a New York City speech delivered March 16, 1911.
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 4, The Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1917, International Publishers, 1997, page 141
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 4, The Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1917, International Publishers, 1997, pages 141–142
Philip S. Foner, History of the Labor Movement in the United States, Vol. 4, The Industrial Workers of the World 1905-1917, International Publishers, 1997, page 142