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Deepening Our Understanding of Labor Action: Examining How Workers Organize Different Types of Strikes in the United States

John Kallas

Industrial Relations: a journal of economy and society2025https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12393article
AJG 4ABDC A*
Weight
0.37

Abstract

This paper draws on qualitative fieldwork on the Starbucks Workers United campaign and a comprehensive database of strike activity to better understand how workers organize strikes in the United States. By analyzing multiple types of strikes, this study challenges more conventional understandings of work stoppages as predominantly indefinite conflicts to resolve bargaining impasses. Strikes organized by workers with limited structural power resources may not always compel an immediate settlement, but union activists interpret strike effectiveness according to a range of indicators beyond whether they achieve material demands. These findings demonstrate the diverse ways that workers organize strikes and how they can leverage different power resources through industrial action.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12393

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@article{john2025,
  title        = {{Deepening Our Understanding of Labor Action: Examining How Workers Organize Different Types of Strikes in the United States}},
  author       = {John Kallas},
  journal      = {Industrial Relations: a journal of economy and society},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12393},
}

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Evidence weight

0.37

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.16 × 0.4 = 0.06
M · momentum0.53 × 0.15 = 0.08
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.