Strike action
Strike action, often referred to as a labor strike, is a collective protest by workers who cease work to negotiate with their employers, typically for better wages, improved working conditions, or other labor-related issues. Strikes are often organized by labor unions, which represent the collective interests of workers in a specific industry or workplace. They serve as a significant tool for workers to exert pressure on employers, especially when negotiations have stalled or when labor rights are perceived to be under threat.
The history of strike actions is closely tied to the labor movement, which emerged as workers sought to advocate for their rights and improve their treatment in the workplace. Legal regulations often govern the conduct of strikes, requiring procedures such as secret ballot votes and advance notifications to employers. While the act of striking can create significant disruptions in productivity for employers, it is seen by many labor advocates as a fundamental right and a last resort after other negotiation efforts have been exhausted.
Strikes have historically highlighted the power dynamics between workers and employers, making visible the need for fair labor practices. Notable events, such as the Homestead Strike of 1892, exemplify the tensions that can arise between labor organizations and management, illustrating the complexities and challenges surrounding labor negotiations. Overall, strike actions remain a critical aspect of labor relations, reflecting ongoing struggles for workers' rights and equity in the workplace.
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Strike action
A strike action, also called a "labor strike" or simply a "strike," is a protest conducted by workers that involves immediately ceasing work at a place of employment. Strike actions are threatened and conducted as a powerful form of negotiation with an employer. Many strikes are conducted through unions, which are large organizations of workers in a particular field. In most areas, strikes must follow a number of procedures to remain legally protected. Many employers have fought workers' power to strike, but unions argue that strike actions are an essential tool for negotiating with powerful employers.
Background
The history of strikes is tied to that of the labor movement. In the United States, the labor movement developed as a way for workers to cooperate with one another to advocate for better treatment from their employers. The labor movement utilized strikes, collective bargaining, and other forms of leverage to force employers to provide higher wages, safer working conditions, and more favorable working hours.
The first recorded strike action in the United States occurred in New York in 1768. Tailors protested an industry-wide wage reduction in attempt to stop it. Soon afterward, the first American union formed. The union, the Federal Society of Journeyman Cordwainers, an organization of shoemakers, set an example for future trade unions. Through the power of collective bargaining, the union set minimum wages for shoemakers, set minimum prices for their work, and negotiated for shorter workdays.
Collective bargaining refers to several workers coming together to negotiate with their employer as one entity. A single employee typically has very little leverage over his or her employer. If the employer does not like a single employee's requests, the requests will be refused. If the employee quits, the employee can easily be replaced. If all of an employer's workers quit, however, the employer's business will be halted. When employees negotiate together, they have much more power over their employer.
Because of the power of collective bargaining, more unions began to form. Many tradesmen, following the example of the Federal Society of Journeyman Cordwainers, formed unions. By the nineteenth century, many factory workers had formed unions, too. These unions were smaller than trade unions but could have an incredible impact on a factory. Suddenly, workers could make difficult demands of their employers, and factory production would immediately cease if the employer refused.
Many employers resisted the formations of these unions. They disliked the amount of power workers suddenly had over factory production, and they did everything in their power to resist it. Some factory owners even hired thugs to assault union members, which made new factory workers too afraid to join unions. When employers resisted unionized employee demands, employees often engaged in strikes.
Overview
A strike action, or strike, is an intentional, collective slowdown or cessation of work carried out by a union or the majority of employees at a work location. The sudden drop or cessation in productivity negatively affects employers. If employees are unskilled, they are sometimes fired and replaced. If the workers are not easily replaced, however, the employer is more likely to meet the employees' demands.
Strikes often must abide by certain legal restrictions. In many cases, strikes must be voted on by a secret ballot offered to all employees at a company. If the company employs a large number of people, independent verification of the ballot results may be required. The employer must be told in advance that a ballot to strike will be offered to employees. The employer must be notified of the results of the ballot. Finally, the employer must be notified—usually a set number of days before a strike—that the union or employees intend to proceed with the strike.
Many members of unions and labor organizations view striking as an integral right. They believe it is a fundamental aspect of their relationship with their employers. They argue that striking is used primarily as a last resort. They do not believe that workers should threaten to strike over trivial matters. Instead, they believe that workers should strike only after they have exhausted every other tool to protect themselves.
While unpleasant for both parties, strikes immediately adjust the balance of power between workers and their employer. In many cases, if a strike seems necessary, then the balance of power was likely in need of an adjustment. Strike advocates argue that most strikes are conducted to negotiate for better pay and safer or more comfortable working conditions. They argue that without the power to strike, employers would have no true incentive to negotiate with employees. They could simply fire and replace any employees who attempted to negotiate for better working conditions.
The Homestead strike, a historic protest in Homestead, Pennsylvania, in 1892, helps illustrate unions' position on strikes. During the Homestead strike, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, a powerful union of metalworkers, clashed with Carnegie Steel Company, one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States. Andrew Carnegie, head of Carnegie Steel, had grown tired of negotiating with unions. When members of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers demanded a more favorable contract, Carnegie's plant manager fired all of them.
Even though the union members made up less than one-fifth of the factory's workers, the rest of the workers immediately decided to strike in a show of support for their coworkers. Thousands of workers and their supporters took to the streets to protest the unsafe working conditions and low pay at the factory. They seized control of both the factory and the surrounding town. When Carnegie heard about the strike, he hired armed guards to force the protestors to disperse. Violence erupted between the protestors and the guards, and the state militia had to be called in to break up the protest. After the strike ended, Carnegie Steel Company immediately instituted lower pay and more strenuous working hours. Future protests, however, won better conditions for workers.
Bibliography
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