Going on Strike


Women holding signs and picketing on a hot day next to a chain link fence

Watsonville Canneries Strike:  On Strike Teamsters Union Local 912, circa 1985-1986


A labor strike occurs when workers stop working in order to gain a concession from an employer, often after contract negotiations have broken down.  An initial phase before a strike might be mediation, where a third party will sit down with the workers and employer to try to negotiate a deal.  If mediation fails, an impasse may be declared, and the union may decide to go on strike.

In order to call a strike, a majority of workers in the bargaining unit must vote to go out on strike. Strikes may be for a single day, or continue until the workers’ demands are met, such as the Watsonville Canneries Strike, which lasted for 18 months.  A strike can be isolated to a specific workplace, or to all of the sites governed by a contract.

Strikes can be difficult and costly for workers, as they are not guaranteed to succeed, and the longer they go on, the more the workers may struggle without their pay and benefits. Employers can also institute a lockout, or employ workers to cross the picket line. Workers employed to cross picket lines are referred to as strikebreakers or scabs.


On Strike Teamsters Union Local 912, circa 1985-1986.  Santa Cruz County Historic Photograph Collection.  University of California, Santa Cruz.  McHenry Library, Special Collections.