Strikebreaker

A strikebreaker is a person who continues to work or who is employed to replace workers who are on strike. Often viewed negatively by organized labor, strikebreakers undermine the collective bargaining power of unions and are seen as betraying solidarity with striking workers. The term implies a willingness to cross a picket line and take over the jobs of those who are refusing to work as part of a labor dispute. Their actions typically weaken a strike's effectiveness and help the employer maintain production or services.

Strikebreaker meaning with examples

• During the lengthy transport workers' strike, the company hired numerous strikebreakers to keep the city's buses running. This action inflamed tensions and led to confrontations at the picket lines. Unions saw this as an aggressive tactic to undermine their demands for better wages and safer working conditions. Many felt the strikebreakers were morally wrong to take the striking workers' jobs.
• The coal mine owners brought in strikebreakers to restart operations during the miners' strike, a move that was met with intense resentment. The striking miners felt betrayed and saw the strikebreakers as collaborators with the company. The incident further poisoned the already strained relationship between labor and management, and it deepened the divide within the community.
• Despite protests, the company's decision to utilize strikebreakers meant they were able to maintain a significant level of output throughout the week-long factory workers' strike. This lessened the financial impact of the strike on the company. The union saw it as a setback, but it was determined to fight for their rights and continue their protest.
• The controversial plan to bring in strikebreakers during the sanitation workers' strike was met with immediate disapproval by the local community. Residents refused to cross the picket lines, even to throw out their garbage. Public support for the striking workers was strong, and the city eventually relented and negotiated with the union.