sit-down strike

American  

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.

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sit-down strike British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of sit-down strike

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.

From New York Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Salon

Without the Flint sit-down strike, it might have taken many more years to unionize General Motors and the entire industrial union movement might have failed to mature.

From Salon

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.

From Seattle Times