This essay, on the brewing general strike that nearly erupted across British Columbia in 2004 but ultimately failed, looks at what brought on the strike, how the strike caught steam then crumbled, and the lessons we can learn moving forward. It was published in the Northeastern Anarchist (#10, Spring/Summer 2005) – the English-language magazine of the Northeastern Federation of Anarchist-Communists (NEFAC).
Due to the failure of revolutionaries to provide accountable leadership based on articulating a shared vision and demands, the workers in struggle were forced to turn to an unaccountable leadership, which based its power on existing institutions and structures.
Paul Finch