Reply #194: Historically, when the labor movement called a general strike,

[ChadwickHenryWard]

there would be a strike committee that would issue permits for essential services to continue. Police, firefighters, ambulances would all have messages painted on the side stating their exemption. Depending on the length of the strike, other things like grocers or the milk man would also be given a release. Since the strike was usually organized by the rail workers' union, they also decided which freight cars would be unloaded. Since the mail used to be carried by rail, and the military used to issue orders through the mail, the federal government would often use this as an excuse to break the strike by force.