Strike

To strike (v.) something is to hit it with force. A strike (n.) is the act or condition of being hit, such as an air-strike where a military target is hit with bombs or missiles from the air.

A strike may also be a workers' action to stop working until their demands are satisfied by their employer. The workers usually form picket lines to prevent replacement workers, whom they call "scabs" in order to insult them and make violence against them more palatable.

While most strikes are non violent and resolve themselves peacefully, a number of strikes have escalated to verbal and even physical attacks, requiring business owner to call police to protect the safety of workers and property

Labor unions frequently threaten to hold strikes as a way of bargaining with employers for special benefits for workers.

See also

• American Federation of Labor
• Samuel Gompers
• Striker fire