One might wonder, why don’t workers use sit-down strikes today? As I pointed out in an earlier post, sit-down strikes were an extremely effective way for workers to gain leverage at the point of production and win concessions. Yet today strikes are quite rare and sit-downs are nearly non-existent in the U.S. The reason for […]
The 74th anniversary of the 1937 Wilsonville Sit-Down Strike is quickly approaching and merits attention. While many labor actions are spurred by the struggle for better wages or working conditions, this strike was set in motion for a different reason. In his memoirs Jack Battuello recalls: “Whenever they mechanized a mine with one type of […]