The teachers' rebellion that broke out in West Virginia this spring followed years of historically low strike levels. And rather than emerging in the places where unions are strongest and most organized, these strikes have rocked the so-called "red states" - places where Trump won handily and governed by Republican governors and legislatures. These strikes have punctured some of the dominant mythologies about a reactionary working class. And we have seen seeming apathy turn to rebellion quite quickly. This talk will explore how socialists should understand the relationship between class consciousness, political organization and struggle. It will discuss how the breakdown in the legitimacy of traditional political formations (from unions to political parties like the Democrats) has increased the level of volatility - and what implications that holds for struggle.