sit-down strike

noun

1. a strike during which workers occupy their place of employment and refuse to work or allow others to work until the strike is settled.

sit-down strike

noun

1. a strike in which workers refuse to leave their place of employment until a settlement is reached

Word History and Origins

Origin of sit-down strike¹

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Example Sentences

She staged a sit-down strike at a segregated roller skating rink in Cambridge, Mass., when she was 14, and she later broke ground as a Black woman in education, employment and housing.

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When the elevator breaks down yet again and Isaac can’t get to an exam on the upper floor, the whole school stages a sit-down strike in his support.

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There was actually a direct connection to the famous sit-down strike in Flint, Michigan, in 1936.

Read more on Salon

Roosevelt refused to take a strong stand against the "sit-down strike," a controversial labor tactic that posed a direct challenge to major industrial employers.

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Kildee’s congressional district includes the city of Flint, where a sit-down strike by General Motors workers in 1936-1937 brought about one of the biggest victories for labor unions in America’s history.

Read more on Seattle Times