Strike action

A collective work stoppage by employees to pressure an employer or government over wages, working conditions, or other demands.

Labor union: An organization through which workers act collectively to protect and advance their employment interests. Unions often organize strikes, negotiate demands, and coordinate workers’ participation.
Employment relationship: A legal and economic relationship in which an employer directs work in exchange for compensation. Strike action interrupts this relationship’s ordinary exchange of labor for pay.
General strike: A strike involving workers across multiple industries or a substantial part of a country’s workforce. It extends workplace pressure across sectors to pursue broad economic or political demands.
Labor movement: Organized efforts by workers to improve wages, working conditions, and their influence in society. Strikes have helped workers build organizations and pursue shared labor goals.
Pullman Strike: A nationwide American railroad strike of 1894 sparked by wage cuts and the Pullman Company’s refusal to reduce rents. Federal intervention in this dispute exposed the conflict between labor protest and state power.
Collective bargaining: Negotiation between employers and worker representatives over terms of employment. A strike can pressure an employer to resume or improve collective bargaining.
Labor law: The body of law governing employment, unions, collective bargaining, and workplace disputes. Legal rules determine when strikes are protected, restricted, or prohibited.
Wildcat strike: A strike undertaken without authorization from the workers’ union leadership. It shows how workers may stop work even when formal union procedures are not followed.
Collective agreement: A negotiated agreement setting employment terms for a group of workers and an employer. A settlement after a strike can formalize gains in wages or working conditions.
Lawrence textile strike: A 1912 Massachusetts textile workers’ strike prompted by wage reductions after a shorter workweek was enacted. Its multiethnic organizing and public support helped secure wage increases.

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