Use When
Employers retaliate against organizers with suspensions or firings.
Management ignores serious safety violations or wage theft.
Repressive decrees ban open-ended strikes or criminalize protest.
Instructions
- 1
Analyze leverage and timing to disrupt production during high-impact shifts.
- 2
Confirm legal compliance regarding notice periods and cooling-off regulations.
- 3
Organize a representative committee to lead and mobilize across all shifts.
- 4
Audit worker readiness through private support checks to ensure solid participation.
- 5
Set a strict duration and clear demands with specific return-to-work triggers.
- 6
Mobilize picket teams and coordinate digital amplification with community allies.
- 7
Execute a unified walkout to demonstrate collective power and visibility.
- 8
Monitor the picket while documenting management retaliation on secure channels.
- 9
Return together collectively and debrief to determine the next escalation phase.
Historic Parallels
- Poland, 1980, staged “warning strikes” at Gdańsk shipyard, yielded talks and agreements.
- South Korea, 2016, one‑day public‑sector strikes, advanced anti‑corruption and labor reforms.
- Germany, 2015, limited rail strikes, won workload and pay adjustments.
Poland, 1980, staged “warning strikes” at Gdańsk shipyard, yielded talks and agreements.Modern Examples
- Hospital staff stage a 48‑hour walkout over understaffing and gag rules.
- Warehouse workers coordinate a one‑day national stoppage to protest union‑busting software and invasive surveillance.
- Transit crews run rolling 4‑hour shutdowns across cities to spotlight fare hikes and corruption in procurement.
Participants
Individual
Yes
15–30 core organizers including shift reps, legal liaison, media lead, picket captain, safety officer, strike‑fund treasurer, and data/messaging team; plus majority participation at the site for maximum leverage.
Helpful Materials
- Secure messaging app
- Printed demand sheets
- Picket signs and armbands
- High-visibility vests
- Megaphones
- De‑escalation cue cards
References
- Gene Sharp, The Methods of Nonviolent Action, 1973
- Erica Chenoweth & Maria J. Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works, 2011
- SEIU, Strike Preparation and Conduct Guide, 2019
- National Labor Relations Board, Employee Rights and Concerted Activity, 2023
- ITUC, Global Rights Index: Findings and Guidance for Action, 2024
Use of Action Playbook educational materials must adhere with Unruled Masses’ Terms of Service.
Stay Nonviolent. Coordinate Strategically. Take Back Your Power.