What Is Antiwork And Why Is It Blowing Up?

With the recent tragedy in Kentucky, the Kellogg’s strike, and Elon Musk bestowed TIME’s Person of the Year you may have heard buzz about the term ‘antiwork’ and what it means. What is antiwork? It’s a rapidly growing movement both online and in-person. It’s all about workers pushing back against exploitation and standing up to old-world work ethics. 

Following “The Great Resignation,” the word “antiwork” began to gain popularity. The center of this movement can be found on the subreddit r/antiwork. This subreddit, which was created in 2013, has seen a 279% increase in membership from 2020. More than 900,000 people have joined just this year alone. 

A rapidly growing movement should tell you something. 

Antiwork Sounds Like Hippie Nonsense

If you’re reading this and are thinking that these are lazy, entitled Millennials and Gez Zers you’re probably in a certain tax bracket or watch a lot of Fox News. 

If you ask reddit user u/rockcellist, they would have a different answer:

“A lot of people mistake antiwork for being lazy and like nothing has to ever get done. 

“But the truth of the matter about antiwork – and everything surrounding it – is that obviously things have to get done. 

“But the current structure in which things get done and the way that capital flows as they get done is unfair and should be nonexistent.” 

It’s no secret that America’s workers are and have been exploited, lied to, and misinformed about labor rights in this country. 

There’s Something Rotten Here

There are reports that the workers at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory were threatened with firing if they left the factory. During a tornado. As warning sirens blared. Who knew that candles were so important? 

The tornado ripped right through the factory, leveling it. Eight people are confirmed dead at the site. 

Mayfield Consumer Products has denied the allegations that they forced workers to remain in the building and continue working against their will. Their labor practices are currently under scrutiny. 

Is There A World Without Jobs?

There will never be a world – a utopia – where there is no work to be done. Any rational person knows that even if they’re deep in the antiwork movement. No one is denying that reality. 

What people are finally standing up against is the exploitation and union-busting from companies like Amazon and Tesla. Too often workers are pressured to take time away from their own lives and instead dedicate it to a company that won’t pay them a living wage. 

One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it exposed – even exacerbated – the inequality of this nation. We saw billionaires become $1.3 Trillion richer. Workers learned that remote working does not affect productivity. Citizens got a taste of government benefits, considering that we’re the richest nation in the world. 

Workers and employers are going to come to a head soon. If more disasters like Mayfield continue to happen. If Kellogg’s, Tesla, Amazon, and others continue underhanded union-busting tactics – We’re going to see workers who won’t take anymore.