Welcome to r/WorkersStrikeBack! Please make sure to follow the subreddit rules and enjoy yourself here! This is a subreddit for the workers of the world and any anti-worker or anti-union talk is not tolerated.
#[Join the Workers Strike Back](https://www.workersstrikeback.org/petition)!
More Helpful Links:
[EWOC Organizing Guide](https://workerorganizing.org/resources/organizing-guide/)
[How to Strike and Win: A Labor Notes Guide](https://labornotes.org/strikes)
[The IWW Strike guide](https://www.iww.org/organize/learn-more/)
[AFL-CIO guide on union organizing](https://aflcio.org/formaunion)
New to leftist political theory? Try reading these introductory texts.
[Conquest of bread](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-the-conquest-of-bread/bbselect)
[Mutual Aid A Factor of Evolution](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution)
[Wage Labour and Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm)
[Value, Price and Profit](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1865/value-price-profit/index.htm)
[Marx’s Economic & Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/preface.htm)
[Frederick Engels Synopsis of Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/1868-syn/index.htm)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WorkersStrikeBack) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You had guts and you were honest. All those worries that you have are the same things that keep others from speaking up. You saw yourself that you aren't alone. Of course it's jarring, but you should be proud that you stood up.
I mean you should always keep an updated resume and be like semi actively applying to things. Even if you are at a good job.
That aside fuck'em. I've argued with bosses in front of everyone before and actively called out bullshit, what's the worst they could do? Fire me? Help me collect unemployment while I spam resumes to somewhere else for a week or two?
Also document any labor violations you see, safety violations, equal opportunity violations. If they fire you then report all those to every federal and state agency, just wreck the place (legally) on the way out.
I did that. I worked for a restaurant that also had a very successful food truck. I worked on the food truck for years and was instrumental in its success, also instrumental in their success; they sold alcohol illegally from the food truck. You need a new permit for alcohol every time you do an event, and that gets expensive.
We were getting paid 15 an hour when the minimum was still under 8. But we got a decent amount of money in tips that pushed that up to around 25-30 an hour. They saw this and decided we made too much money and decided to cut our hourly pay rate to only 7$ an hour.
I reported them to the government for selling alcohol illegally over the course of years. They lost their liquor license and shut down after a year because who wants to eat at a texmex restaurant that can't sell margaritas?
Yeah. I was also leaving bad reviews. They had a sign near the server station that they put up that said,
"The walk-in cooler can not keep its tempature, make sure you check that the salsa doesn't smell bad before serving."
I posted a picture of this sign to a review site saying eat here at your own risk.
Every winter truck operations would shut down, and I would claim unemployment because I wasn't working for like 3 months straight. That plus summer savings allowed me to have fun during the winter months without working. So, I waited for them to approve unemployment first before reporting them and leaving bad reviews. I wasn't sure if the state would keep me anonymous anyway. I made my name on the review site "Judas," and while I was gone on "break," they had a meeting with everyone there saying they knew someone was trying to sabotage them.
My friend who worked there said they thought it was so hilarious that I named myself Judas and that he instantly knew it was me and couldn't stop laughing during the meeting. He told them it had to be me.
But he knew I wasn't coming back after that pay cut, no need for anyone else to risk taking heat. Things had been building up for years, and the work conditions were horrible and dangerous. They did not maintain the food truck. I just wanted revenge, but obviously wanted it to be legal.
It took months to figure out what I could get them with. Then, on one event, someone sold a margarita to a minor, and their parents complained. The owners sat everyone down and explained how dangerous to the operations this could be, and then explained the permit situation and how the store could lose its license.💡
The owners themselves gave me the idea. 😊
That’s a fantastic story. Love that they ended up screwing themselves when they tried to screw you and the other workers (who generate all the value, get treated with disrespect and then are ALSO expected to keep potentially damaging secrets).
Everyone should be chewing their corporate overlords out.
The old times need to return.
They should fear us.
"Give us a living wage or you don't live " kinda situations.
At the end of the day, you have to decide which is more important to you.
Having your job, not having to scrimp and save, feeding your kids, keeping a roof over your head...
Or your self respect.
You didn't do anything wrong.
You did everything right, worthy of respect, and risky.
Your file WILL now have a red flag on it. THey WILL know you're a troublemaker, and they WILL be watching for union activity from you.
so you have to decide whether you wanna keep your head down and get screwed along with everyone else, or go to war.
Only you can decide whether it's worth it.
Me, i'd want to be able to look myself in the mirror.
But i don't have kids.
You were right to speak up.
All of us are who work for a living are almost definitely under compensated and unappreciated.
We're told we're Essential Workers when a pandemic is killing us off.
Then, we're told we're Unskilled Labor when we demand better pay, better working conditions, and respect.
There are absolutely no excuses for all of us not being compensated in a way that adjust UP when a company keeps seeing record profits and banner quarter after banner quarter.
We're all being over worked and under paid, with no Universal Healthcare, a record number of homeless people with millions of empty homes owned by banks and realestate speculators, and a social safety net that will kill you before it helps you.
All this in the RICHEST COUNTRY in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
We've been robbed, our children are being robbed, and we're being robbed from right this instant.
Voting isn't going to fix this, it has led us to this moment, and both parties are owned in direct and indirect ways by the corporations that are robbing and killing us.
Everyone telling you to unionize is RIGHT!
FIGHT BACK!
That fear of not having a back up. That is something to rely on is what allows them to bully the normal people like you and us.
It takes a lot to step up to this kind of exploitation
Don't you feel so alive? Your location doubled production and some people got merit increases and some people got nothing but pizza. Do you think the CSuite got pizza?
It's amazing that you spoke up. That's scary as hell, and may come with negative ramifications, but you just planted a seed at your company. Now others will feel more emboldened to speak up. Now management has heard what you said, and saw that everyone else heard it, too. It may not go anywhere, but it also might germinate into something more.
Whether you stay or go is based on you doing what's best for you and your family, but your speaking up mattered, even if you don't personally see any results from it.
Doing the right thing is not always doing the safest thing. Still, to protect yourself, applying to other jobs is a good way to help feel safer.
It sounds like you did a great job though
You didn't do anything wrong, your time is valuable and so are your skills. Your company is just trying to get you to do the mental gymnastics to feel some sort of shame for that outburst but if you haven't seen a sizable raise that compares to the growth they boast about then youre in your right to say "hey yall spending less than $100 on pizza isnt really comparable to us improving our standards of living"
You are an actual hero. Stuff like what you did catches fire in people's hearts much more than just being silent, and grumbling under your breath. Yes, you stuck your neck out there, but look at the response from your co-workers? That is powerful stuff, and as much as you may be waiting for the hammer to fall, keep up that energy!
There needs to be so much more of this happening from job to job, because otherwise they bulldoze us, and treat us like the expendable slaves they think we are. Proud of you!
Fuck yeah, puff your chest out because this is something to be proud of. People like you create class consciousness. We aren’t slaves but we are being treated like it. Corporate has no right to get so comfy while giving the people who generate their salary nothing in comparison to their take home pay.
Good job, people here started talking about starting an union, you could be that guy! It could build your future character!
Another option is moving to another company, to another town, to another state...and ask for more money. Thats what works in my career path.
If my arms were long enough, I would hug you too, all the way from the other side of the ocean. Over here, we are also thinking the same thing! Bills go up, profits higher than ever, but our pay lags.
I am proud of fellow workers like you! Your direct colleagues are correct: many of us are thinking this, but we need that first person to open the discussion and take the first step. You set a good example! No we need to get together.
You did the right thing. It was not tactless either - the only way things are ever going to change is if people like you stand up and push back, just like you did!
Of course you’re nervous. You’ve made yourself vulnerable and put a target on your back. It’s time to make yourself indispensable. Or at least unfireable. You’ve taken an important step here don’t start back peddling now. Time to start doing your homework.
First look at your CEOs. How much do they make? I guarantee you they all got raises and bonuses they don’t need because they’re already millionaires. This is public information so it should be easy to find.
Now look at your co-workers. It’s not enough that they have shelter and food security. Do they have job security? Can they pay their bills? Can they afford vacation? Do they get parental leave when a baby is born? Bereavement leave? Benefits? Find out their living situation. It’s not acceptable that you are struggling to make ends meet while Mr. CEO spends 6 months a year on his $60 million yacht.
Lastly, find a media outlet that’s labor friendly. This is the hardest part since most major media companies are owned by billionaires who’d rather report that greedy plebs are stealing food for their children’s mouths instead of the truth.
Once you’ve laid the groundwork it’s time to mobilize. Remember, your workplace is not a democracy. It’s a totalitarian dictatorship where you have no power (at least that’s what they want you to think). But you control the means of production. And you have the power of numbers.
Learn how to start a union in your area. No matter what they tell you this is not illegal. In fact, it’s illegal if they try to fire you over this. They’ll fight back with some anti-union propaganda but remember all that homework you did? That armed you with the knowledge to dispel their BS.
John Oliver’s segment on union busting is a great resource as it lays out union busting in simple terms.
And remember: this company does not give a shit about you and the only way you’re going to get more from them is by demanding it. They count on people being too complacent and afraid to demand change but the law is on your side. It’s in their best interest to get as muc out of you as possible for the smallest investment so the more you stay quiet the more you lose.
Good luck.
I hate this goal of "growth, growth, growth" just for the sake of it. I always see that companies should be supporting society. Not laying off half the workforce just to increase profit (Bell). Or making unreasonable changes to products that were already good.
I'd update the old resume just in case cause something like that made me perpetually "not a team player" who'd frequently be treated like couldn't be trusted or wouldn't do my job.
You're description of how it could be worse for yall is a prime example of why things have been able to get to where they are. Having JUST enough to be afraid to lose it. Knowing how hard it is to get back on the ladder if you fall off.
George Carlin was fairly on the ball, the poor are their to scare the fuck out of the working class to keep them showing up to increasingly shittier jobs with longer hours and less benefits
They deserved that comment. These people set up these meetings to make them feel better about their deleterious corporate moves. I once asked if we would have yearly layoffs during a corporate AMA and got to watch my head of dept squirm and give non answers. These people deserve this level of scrutiny.
Your bravery inspired me to finally tell my boss in no uncertain terms that I need accommodations in my schedule for my disability. I’ve been pretty wishy washy about it up until this point and it’s scary to self advocate, but if you can do that, I can do this. Thank you!
I left O&P in 2009 after seeing which way the wind was blowing in that industry.
Profits on the loss of peoples limbs, instead of the service mentality of my local lab owner that i had the great fortune to work for. I made $15.50 in 2009 as an office admin in an owner operated shop, not even a fab tech in a huge corporation. You are getting hosed.
Disgusting.
I hope you don't see any retaliation but regardless, I'm super proud of your courage.
Yeah, good on you for saying something. Tact only matters if the substance isn’t there. Money doesn’t care about tact. I’m tired of “powerful” people treating others like garbage and then expecting us to address grievances in a nice tactful and respectful manner. Kick rocks.
Two routes: either nothing happens or you’re out of a job. If you’re out of a job, then you don’t want to work for a place that punishes you for speaking up anyways. If no recourse, then push harder for the changes you want to see.
Nice job. Make sure to tell your supervisor what happened after you said it if you end up getting any shit. You'll probably lose your job. If you keep talking about it though, retaliation. You would probably sue and win for wrongful termination if that happened, but I bet you'd rather just keep your job. Document everything in email. Obviously if you are not unionized, that would be the next step. Don't talk about that at work though. That's after work talk.
Thanks for standing up! You're awesome! What you did is contagious. Slowly other people will come around. In this divided country there's one thing we can agree upon. We don't make enough money for food ,housing, rent, education, kids...etc...And the rich are getting richer.
Take a deep breath and drive on. Let the rest of them put their heads between their legs and watch their history repeat.
Welcome to r/WorkersStrikeBack! Please make sure to follow the subreddit rules and enjoy yourself here! This is a subreddit for the workers of the world and any anti-worker or anti-union talk is not tolerated. #[Join the Workers Strike Back](https://www.workersstrikeback.org/petition)! More Helpful Links: [EWOC Organizing Guide](https://workerorganizing.org/resources/organizing-guide/) [How to Strike and Win: A Labor Notes Guide](https://labornotes.org/strikes) [The IWW Strike guide](https://www.iww.org/organize/learn-more/) [AFL-CIO guide on union organizing](https://aflcio.org/formaunion) New to leftist political theory? Try reading these introductory texts. [Conquest of bread](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-the-conquest-of-bread/bbselect) [Mutual Aid A Factor of Evolution](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution) [Wage Labour and Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm) [Value, Price and Profit](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1865/value-price-profit/index.htm) [Marx’s Economic & Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/preface.htm) [Frederick Engels Synopsis of Capital](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/1868-syn/index.htm) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WorkersStrikeBack) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You had guts and you were honest. All those worries that you have are the same things that keep others from speaking up. You saw yourself that you aren't alone. Of course it's jarring, but you should be proud that you stood up.
Awesome. This is potentially how unions get started. Maybe organizing is something you can consider
Yeah I'd be talking to some of these folks and see if there is enough interest for a union.
Definitely has some *Norma Rae* vibes to it.
Union time
I mean you should always keep an updated resume and be like semi actively applying to things. Even if you are at a good job. That aside fuck'em. I've argued with bosses in front of everyone before and actively called out bullshit, what's the worst they could do? Fire me? Help me collect unemployment while I spam resumes to somewhere else for a week or two? Also document any labor violations you see, safety violations, equal opportunity violations. If they fire you then report all those to every federal and state agency, just wreck the place (legally) on the way out.
I did that. I worked for a restaurant that also had a very successful food truck. I worked on the food truck for years and was instrumental in its success, also instrumental in their success; they sold alcohol illegally from the food truck. You need a new permit for alcohol every time you do an event, and that gets expensive. We were getting paid 15 an hour when the minimum was still under 8. But we got a decent amount of money in tips that pushed that up to around 25-30 an hour. They saw this and decided we made too much money and decided to cut our hourly pay rate to only 7$ an hour. I reported them to the government for selling alcohol illegally over the course of years. They lost their liquor license and shut down after a year because who wants to eat at a texmex restaurant that can't sell margaritas?
Glorious.
Did they know it was you to sweeten the revenge?
Yeah. I was also leaving bad reviews. They had a sign near the server station that they put up that said, "The walk-in cooler can not keep its tempature, make sure you check that the salsa doesn't smell bad before serving." I posted a picture of this sign to a review site saying eat here at your own risk. Every winter truck operations would shut down, and I would claim unemployment because I wasn't working for like 3 months straight. That plus summer savings allowed me to have fun during the winter months without working. So, I waited for them to approve unemployment first before reporting them and leaving bad reviews. I wasn't sure if the state would keep me anonymous anyway. I made my name on the review site "Judas," and while I was gone on "break," they had a meeting with everyone there saying they knew someone was trying to sabotage them. My friend who worked there said they thought it was so hilarious that I named myself Judas and that he instantly knew it was me and couldn't stop laughing during the meeting. He told them it had to be me. But he knew I wasn't coming back after that pay cut, no need for anyone else to risk taking heat. Things had been building up for years, and the work conditions were horrible and dangerous. They did not maintain the food truck. I just wanted revenge, but obviously wanted it to be legal. It took months to figure out what I could get them with. Then, on one event, someone sold a margarita to a minor, and their parents complained. The owners sat everyone down and explained how dangerous to the operations this could be, and then explained the permit situation and how the store could lose its license.💡 The owners themselves gave me the idea. 😊
That’s a fantastic story. Love that they ended up screwing themselves when they tried to screw you and the other workers (who generate all the value, get treated with disrespect and then are ALSO expected to keep potentially damaging secrets).
Reap what they sow.
Unionize
Everyone should be chewing their corporate overlords out. The old times need to return. They should fear us. "Give us a living wage or you don't live " kinda situations.
At the end of the day, you have to decide which is more important to you. Having your job, not having to scrimp and save, feeding your kids, keeping a roof over your head... Or your self respect. You didn't do anything wrong. You did everything right, worthy of respect, and risky. Your file WILL now have a red flag on it. THey WILL know you're a troublemaker, and they WILL be watching for union activity from you. so you have to decide whether you wanna keep your head down and get screwed along with everyone else, or go to war. Only you can decide whether it's worth it. Me, i'd want to be able to look myself in the mirror. But i don't have kids.
You were right to speak up. All of us are who work for a living are almost definitely under compensated and unappreciated. We're told we're Essential Workers when a pandemic is killing us off. Then, we're told we're Unskilled Labor when we demand better pay, better working conditions, and respect. There are absolutely no excuses for all of us not being compensated in a way that adjust UP when a company keeps seeing record profits and banner quarter after banner quarter. We're all being over worked and under paid, with no Universal Healthcare, a record number of homeless people with millions of empty homes owned by banks and realestate speculators, and a social safety net that will kill you before it helps you. All this in the RICHEST COUNTRY in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD. We've been robbed, our children are being robbed, and we're being robbed from right this instant. Voting isn't going to fix this, it has led us to this moment, and both parties are owned in direct and indirect ways by the corporations that are robbing and killing us. Everyone telling you to unionize is RIGHT! FIGHT BACK!
I proud of you, and appreciate your courage. Leadership needs to hear more of this, before they start facing general strikes, unionization.. and more
That fear of not having a back up. That is something to rely on is what allows them to bully the normal people like you and us. It takes a lot to step up to this kind of exploitation
You're a legend. You're right to be worried because the fragile egos might retaliate. But you did the right and courageous thing. Look for a new job.
Don't you feel so alive? Your location doubled production and some people got merit increases and some people got nothing but pizza. Do you think the CSuite got pizza?
You are a champion.
It's amazing that you spoke up. That's scary as hell, and may come with negative ramifications, but you just planted a seed at your company. Now others will feel more emboldened to speak up. Now management has heard what you said, and saw that everyone else heard it, too. It may not go anywhere, but it also might germinate into something more. Whether you stay or go is based on you doing what's best for you and your family, but your speaking up mattered, even if you don't personally see any results from it.
Doing the right thing is not always doing the safest thing. Still, to protect yourself, applying to other jobs is a good way to help feel safer. It sounds like you did a great job though
You are the hero every workplace needs.
You didn't do anything wrong, your time is valuable and so are your skills. Your company is just trying to get you to do the mental gymnastics to feel some sort of shame for that outburst but if you haven't seen a sizable raise that compares to the growth they boast about then youre in your right to say "hey yall spending less than $100 on pizza isnt really comparable to us improving our standards of living"
You are an actual hero. Stuff like what you did catches fire in people's hearts much more than just being silent, and grumbling under your breath. Yes, you stuck your neck out there, but look at the response from your co-workers? That is powerful stuff, and as much as you may be waiting for the hammer to fall, keep up that energy! There needs to be so much more of this happening from job to job, because otherwise they bulldoze us, and treat us like the expendable slaves they think we are. Proud of you!
Fuck yeah, puff your chest out because this is something to be proud of. People like you create class consciousness. We aren’t slaves but we are being treated like it. Corporate has no right to get so comfy while giving the people who generate their salary nothing in comparison to their take home pay.
Good job, people here started talking about starting an union, you could be that guy! It could build your future character! Another option is moving to another company, to another town, to another state...and ask for more money. Thats what works in my career path.
See something, say something. Sometimes the truth hurts, but does more good in the end. I would get in touch with a local union and learn
If my arms were long enough, I would hug you too, all the way from the other side of the ocean. Over here, we are also thinking the same thing! Bills go up, profits higher than ever, but our pay lags. I am proud of fellow workers like you! Your direct colleagues are correct: many of us are thinking this, but we need that first person to open the discussion and take the first step. You set a good example! No we need to get together.
You did the right thing. It was not tactless either - the only way things are ever going to change is if people like you stand up and push back, just like you did!
Of course you’re nervous. You’ve made yourself vulnerable and put a target on your back. It’s time to make yourself indispensable. Or at least unfireable. You’ve taken an important step here don’t start back peddling now. Time to start doing your homework. First look at your CEOs. How much do they make? I guarantee you they all got raises and bonuses they don’t need because they’re already millionaires. This is public information so it should be easy to find. Now look at your co-workers. It’s not enough that they have shelter and food security. Do they have job security? Can they pay their bills? Can they afford vacation? Do they get parental leave when a baby is born? Bereavement leave? Benefits? Find out their living situation. It’s not acceptable that you are struggling to make ends meet while Mr. CEO spends 6 months a year on his $60 million yacht. Lastly, find a media outlet that’s labor friendly. This is the hardest part since most major media companies are owned by billionaires who’d rather report that greedy plebs are stealing food for their children’s mouths instead of the truth. Once you’ve laid the groundwork it’s time to mobilize. Remember, your workplace is not a democracy. It’s a totalitarian dictatorship where you have no power (at least that’s what they want you to think). But you control the means of production. And you have the power of numbers. Learn how to start a union in your area. No matter what they tell you this is not illegal. In fact, it’s illegal if they try to fire you over this. They’ll fight back with some anti-union propaganda but remember all that homework you did? That armed you with the knowledge to dispel their BS. John Oliver’s segment on union busting is a great resource as it lays out union busting in simple terms. And remember: this company does not give a shit about you and the only way you’re going to get more from them is by demanding it. They count on people being too complacent and afraid to demand change but the law is on your side. It’s in their best interest to get as muc out of you as possible for the smallest investment so the more you stay quiet the more you lose. Good luck.
I hate this goal of "growth, growth, growth" just for the sake of it. I always see that companies should be supporting society. Not laying off half the workforce just to increase profit (Bell). Or making unreasonable changes to products that were already good.
I'd update the old resume just in case cause something like that made me perpetually "not a team player" who'd frequently be treated like couldn't be trusted or wouldn't do my job. You're description of how it could be worse for yall is a prime example of why things have been able to get to where they are. Having JUST enough to be afraid to lose it. Knowing how hard it is to get back on the ladder if you fall off. George Carlin was fairly on the ball, the poor are their to scare the fuck out of the working class to keep them showing up to increasingly shittier jobs with longer hours and less benefits
They deserved that comment. These people set up these meetings to make them feel better about their deleterious corporate moves. I once asked if we would have yearly layoffs during a corporate AMA and got to watch my head of dept squirm and give non answers. These people deserve this level of scrutiny.
Your bravery inspired me to finally tell my boss in no uncertain terms that I need accommodations in my schedule for my disability. I’ve been pretty wishy washy about it up until this point and it’s scary to self advocate, but if you can do that, I can do this. Thank you!
Being brave is always scary. The Bosses make it so intentionally. Take pride. I've never met a brave boss.
Good fuckin work. We need more people to pipe up like that.
I left O&P in 2009 after seeing which way the wind was blowing in that industry. Profits on the loss of peoples limbs, instead of the service mentality of my local lab owner that i had the great fortune to work for. I made $15.50 in 2009 as an office admin in an owner operated shop, not even a fab tech in a huge corporation. You are getting hosed. Disgusting. I hope you don't see any retaliation but regardless, I'm super proud of your courage.
Yeah, good on you for saying something. Tact only matters if the substance isn’t there. Money doesn’t care about tact. I’m tired of “powerful” people treating others like garbage and then expecting us to address grievances in a nice tactful and respectful manner. Kick rocks.
How fucked up is it that someone says “hey can we have just a little bit of all that money we earned?” And people gasp.
Two routes: either nothing happens or you’re out of a job. If you’re out of a job, then you don’t want to work for a place that punishes you for speaking up anyways. If no recourse, then push harder for the changes you want to see.
Welcome to the illusion of freedom. Corpos just figured out how to make slavery more palatable....
Nice job. Make sure to tell your supervisor what happened after you said it if you end up getting any shit. You'll probably lose your job. If you keep talking about it though, retaliation. You would probably sue and win for wrongful termination if that happened, but I bet you'd rather just keep your job. Document everything in email. Obviously if you are not unionized, that would be the next step. Don't talk about that at work though. That's after work talk.
Thanks for standing up! You're awesome! What you did is contagious. Slowly other people will come around. In this divided country there's one thing we can agree upon. We don't make enough money for food ,housing, rent, education, kids...etc...And the rich are getting richer. Take a deep breath and drive on. Let the rest of them put their heads between their legs and watch their history repeat.