Submit Your Song to the Second General Strike Song Contest
Harold Phillips | Published on 3/11/2026
Songwriters, musicians, and activists are invited to submit entries to the second General Strike Song Contest, a project to create new songs and chants that can be quickly learned and sung by large groups at rallies, picket lines, and demonstrations. Last year’s winning entry was “Hold Fast! Hold the Line” by Emmett Doyle.
Deadline for submissions: Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Entries must be participatory—a crowd of 100 or more people who have never heard the song before should be able to learn it quickly and sing along. Songs that depend on solo performers or are difficult for a group to pick up will not be considered.
To enter, submit your song as a digital MP3 or WAV audio file, along with a lyrics sheet written exactly as performed in the recording.
Submit your entry here or here. Only one submission per contestant will be accepted. If the song is your original work, please select a Creative Commons license. If it is based on another song or text, include information about the original copyright.
The 10–12 most successful songs and chants will be featured in a free online teach-in on Saturday, April 25, from 12:00–1:30 p.m. ET, when recordings and lyrics from all contest entries will be compiled and shared publicly. Selected submissions will also be featured on the Labor Heritage Power Hour radio show.
The General Strike Song Contest is organized by an independent committee that started with members of Pittsburgh Labor Choir, including Tom Hoffman (retired, SEIU), Kira Yeversky (Steelworkers Local 3657), Edwin Everhart (MSP/NEA), and Deyo Bucay.
Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Labor Choir.