On February 28, 2025, the People’s Union USA organized a 24 hour “economic boycott” against buying gas, fast food, and various items from major retailers. Instead, people were encouraged to buy essentials from local and small businesses.
The People’s Union USA claims to be a “movement of people, unionizing to take back control of our economy, government and future of our country.” The organization was founded by John Schwarz, who created it on February 3, 2025; he then called for the boycott on February 28. Schwarz states that the boycott, along with future planned boycotts, are aimed at “the system as a whole.”
The blackout started out as a proposal on social media, which immediately gained attention and the news spread across the nation. Schwarz’s video has been shared over 700,000 times with 8.5 million views.
Various student’s families are participating in this boycott. Ellese P. ’26 says her parents told her to not buy things on the day of the boycott, unless it was from a small business. “I think the boycott is a good idea because it helps people show how they feel.”
Other students aren’t participating in the boycott. Evelyn W. ‘27, says “I think it’s worth it to participate in it if you feel strongly about it, but I don’t think it’ll be successful. There are so many people in our society with so many differing opinions, so there are many people who don’t agree with the boycott and you can’t just change that many people’s minds and get them to participate.”
In addition to the February 28 boycott, there are multiple other ones already planned. On March 28, another nationwide boycott is planned to last another 24 hours. The group has also planned a week-long boycott against Amazon, Whole Foods, and Nestlé, due to claims of child labor and water exploitation.
Despite the widespread attention and participation the February 28 boycott gained, its long term impacts are still unknown as the movement continues to grow.