People are spreading the word on social media and online forums about a nationwide boycott planned for Friday (February 28), an “economic blackout” that promises the following: “For one day we show them who really holds the power” – as it urges people to spend no money on anything on Friday, not even gas for their car.
But who is behind the movement and who is the “them” the boycott is supposed to be protesting? And why is it selling merchandise and soliciting donations that have already reached over $60,000 as of February 24th?
TikTok influencer and “meditation and mindfulness facilitator” John Schwarz, aka The One Called Jai, is credited with organizing the boycott. On the website TheOneCalledJai.com, now branded as The People’s Union USA, it states:
“What we are building is not just about resisting corruption, it is about exposing it. For decades, corporations, politicians, and industries have worked together to rig the system against the American people. They have built an economy designed to exploit workers, suppress wages, and keep the majority of us in a constant state of struggle. These are the forces that have stolen our financial freedom, manipulated our government, and kept power in the hands of the wealthy elite.”
The call to boycott every commercial enterprise on Friday hit a nerve, seemingly tapping into the same raw discontent the country saw exposed after the shocking murder of the CEO of an unpopular healthcare corporation on a New York City street.
The movement to “unionize the people” has somewhat escaped the typical labeling of “conservative” or “liberal” by putting the blame for the ills of society squarely on corporations and billionaires, and giving people a feeling of empowerment – “we are the economy,” it espouses. In FAQ #4 on the website, it states:
Are you against Trump, Elon Musk, or any specific individuals?
This movement is not about one person. It is about the system as a whole. Both political parties, both past and current leaders, and billionaires have manipulated the economy and profited off the working class. We will hold them all accountable. Our focus is systemic change, not political drama.
Such is the success of the marketing of the February 28th Economic Blackout that it’s been picked up by news outlets, including CBS News, which explained in part:
“Behind the boycott is a group called The People’s Union USA, a self-described grassroots organization founded by John Schwarz, a 57-year-old dad originally from Queens, New York, who has been promoting the consumer blackout for weeks on social media. The People’s Union says it has no political affiliation, but focuses on “fairness, economic justice and real systemic change.””
Given past movements by online sellers to lobby online marketplaces through the formation of organizations (for example, eBay Elite, PESA, IMA), we were especially attuned to what Schwarz said in a video on TikTok about the boycott and his fundraising efforts. At minute 1:16, he stated the following:
“As of right now, The People’s Union USA is a fully registered LLC. That’s the legal structure that allows me to establish this properly while working towards forming it into a non profit organization that will truly, ultimately unionize the people.”
He didn’t not explain why he hadn’t established the organization as a non-profit to start. A search of business entities in Illinois reveals Schwarz as the only person in the filing for THE PEOPLE’S UNION USA, LLC, and shows it was formed just one week ago, on February 18, 2025. The Go Fund Me was set up on February 4th.
Online sellers have also held boycotts against online marketplaces (eBay and Etsy) to protest certain policies or fee hikes. While they get the attention of media in the short run, they generally don’t have a good track record of succeeding in getting unpopular changes reversed since corporations are focused on shareholder satisfaction and the price of their stock.
Some sellers on ecommerce discussion boards have wondered what the boycott may mean for sales of small businesses like themselves, fearing that most consumers don’t realize 62% of unit sales on Amazon are sold by third-party merchants. So far, we haven’t seen anyone discussing the fundraising aspect of Friday’s economic blackout.