wildcat strike

American  

noun

1. a labor strike that has not been called or sanctioned by the officials of the union.

---

wildcat strike British  

noun

1. a strike begun by workers spontaneously or without union approval

---

wildcat strike Cultural  

1. A strike called in violation of an existing contract between labor and management.

---

Etymology

Origin of wildcat strike

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wildcat strike

Castillo, who rose to national prominence leading a wildcat strike in 2017, ran for president last year sounding similar notes.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2022

I don’t think they met secretly with the wildcatters, and they may have had some differences, but I don’t think that the official union was too unhappy with the membership for that wildcat strike.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2019

The wildcat strike was carried out by MyFerryLink workers who are concerned about job losses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2015

Garbagemen staged a two-day wildcat strike that left 48,000 tons of trash to mellow in the June breezes.

From The Guardian ● May 18, 2015

Pooky Suggs, who hadn’t been to church in twenty years, said this preacher had it right and gathered a group of men around him to announce a wildcat strike.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam