Arolling strike, also known as a rotating strike,[1][2] is a targeted strike where some union workers strike while others continue to work. These strikes can spread to other departments or locations as negotiations escalate. Rolling strikes are used to conserve strike funds and to make strike action unpredictable for the employer.
The Unite Here Local 11 labor union, which represents 32,000 hotel workers in Southern California and Arizona,[3] has used rolling strike actions in contract disputes with hotels in Southern California during the 2023-2024 Los Angeles hotel strike, with workers walking off the job at a few hotels at a time.[3][4]
The 2023 United Auto Workers strike also used rolling strikes,[5] initially targeting production of the Big Three's most profitable vehicles.[6] Setting negotiation timelines, UAW President Shawn Fain threatened to roll out more strikes if deals were not reached by certain deadlines.[7]
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario performed rotating strikes in February 2020[8] affecting 170,000 students through one-day strikes. Parents were compensated by the government for missed school days, putting more pressure on negotiations.[9]
