A rolling 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.
United States
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]