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Stephanie Clark
Professor Campbell
UWRT 1103 Honors
November 9, 2015
Strikers Stop the World: What are the psychological and economic effects of strikes on those
directly and indirectly involved?
Imagine you are in New York City in July of 1899. The hustle and bustle of city-life
surrounds you while children run through the streets and jump out of the way of fresh-off-theline automobiles. You look for newspaper boys holding the days papers and listen for their cries
about the headlines: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Instead of the shout of young boys telling
passersby the latest headline, there are no newspapers being sold by newsies. The newsies of
New York are stopping traffic by standing on the Brooklyn Bridge rather than selling
newspapers. The cost of selling the papers had been increased due to the Spanish-American War,
but two newspaper publishers refused to lower the price after the war ended. This left the
newsies unable to provide for themselves on their meager salary. So, the boys and girls who
usually sold papers on the streets in order to survive decided to go on strike in an attempt to get
the newspaper price lowered again (Stern). The newsies strike of 1899 put many businesses in
New York City to a halt and proved that when a group of people band together, they can impact
other peoples lives. Strikes still occur today, but what are the psychological and economic after
effects of strikes on employers, employees and even those indirectly involved?
A strike occurs when employees, often part of a labor union, stop work in order to get
their employers attention and to make some change in the workplace. Many people probably

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assume that to go on strike employees just stop working one day or do not show up for work
until their demands are met. This, however, is not the case. Determining whether or not a strike
is lawful or unlawful can be difficult. According to the National Labor Relations Board, the
lawfulness of a strike may depend on the object, or purpose, of the strike, on its timing, or on the
conduct of the strikers. So, each aspect of a strike could determine whether it is legal or not.
The National Labor Relations Board is responsible for determining the lawfulness of strikes and
sets the standards for when employees may go on strike, showing that employees who band
together for a unified cause are not automatically given the right to go on strike.
When employees choose to take action against their employer in the form of a strike,
there is always a motive behind it. In fact, it is nearly impossible, if not completely impossible,
to strike without a viable reason. Not every strike occurs due to issues involving employees
salaries. Media has tended to focus more on strikes that pertain to salaries, but there are many
other reasons people may choose to go on strike. Chuck McCutcheon says that most strikes today
are fighting to raise the minimum wage, reduce income disparity and make work hours and
rules more worker friendly. Sometimes, a workplace is unsafe or unsanitary and employees
want to change their work conditions. Other times, people want to change the amount of time
they are required to work. There does not have to be just one reason for people to go on strike,
though employees should consider the consequences of turning to a strike in order to solve their
issues.
There are many psychological and economic after effects of strikes, including depression
and loss of income for employees who choose to go on strike. From the late 1870s until now,
when employees feel they are not being treated the way they deserve and if they are part of a
labor union, they may choose to go on strike. As long as there are businesses with many

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employees under one or a few employers, strikes will occur. It is better to understand how strikes
come about and some examples of past strikes in order to get a clear picture of how employees
may behave in the future if they feel that they are not being treated with due respect and being
given their due pay.
Most strikes throughout history have occurred due to the actions of labor unions. Labor
unions are defined as a group of employees organized to support their rights. If employees
decided to stand on their own against their employer, little would be accomplished, as individual
employees can easily be replaced. But by forming a labor union, employees become a larger
uniform body with the ability to stand up for individual rights. Michael D. Yates states in his
book Why Unions Matter that those who toil for others have formed labor unions to defend
themselves and advance their interests in the face of powerful employers. When it comes to
problems in the workplace, being a part of a labor union is often the safer option, as more is
likely to be accomplished with fewer consequences to the individual employees. The comradery
that comes with being part of a labor union can often help alleviate the depression and loneliness
that often sets in throughout and even after a strike.
Although strikes affect employees and employers more than those outside the business,
strikes do not just affect the business that is being stopped. For instance, on November 10, 2007,
stagehands for many Broadway shows went on strike due to an outdated rule within many of
their contracts. This rule stated that stagehands had to be present for load-ins (i.e. when a show
moves into the theater) even if they were not needed, that if one stagehand was paid for
overtime, then all stagehands had to work overtime (or at least be paid for it), and that
stagehands could only work during performance calls, among other issues (Greenhouse and
Robertson). Not only did the strike force many theaters to not run their shows, but some of the

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smaller and newer shows permanently closed. Many shows that were still in previews had to
delay their opening nights due to the strike. Without the theater district running as it usually
does, many other businesses in New York City were affected by the strike (Lunden). Jeff
Lunden, a composer and speaker for National Public Radio, stated that the stagehand strike cost
an estimated 17 million dollars a day for other businesses within the city, including hotels and
restaurants. One group of people acting out against an unfair rule caused hardship for perhaps
hundreds of businesses. The strike officially ended on November 28, 2007, with shows starting
up the next evening. The strike had been in the works since the stagehands contracts ended in
July of 2007 and negotiations wore on and off until the tentative contract agreement on
November 28, 2007 (Gans). Without being part of a labor union, the stagehands would never
have been able to accomplish what they did. They also probably would not have been willing to
stand up against Broadway producers had they not had the support of the labor union, along with
many members of the Broadway community.
Labor unions have been responsible for most strikes that have occurred throughout
history. In recent years, however, labor union membership has been on the decline, yet strikes
still, well, strike often. A little over eleven percent of the United States workforce is part of a
labor union today, which is nine percent lower than it was in 1983 (McCutcheon). Even though
their numbers have gone down in the last thirty-two years, labor unions still hold a place in
society and can impact everything from small communities to federal laws. For instance, on
October 7, 2015, President Obama took part in a conversation with a room full of workers and
labor leaders from many different industries in order to understand what improvements in the
workforce they desired. The conversation between the workers and the President lasted over an
hour. Nearly all of them wanted to have a stronger worker voice as one woman described her

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situation. President Obama even instigated The Good Work Code so those working online
have more support (The White House Summit on Worker Voice). The code is based on eight
principles: safety, stability and flexibility, transparency, shared prosperity, a livable wage,
inclusion and input, support and connection, growth and development and attempts to support
workers from many professions (Good Work Code). Participating in politics and lobbying for
certain politicians is one way that labor unions gain power and influence in todays society
(Barling, Fullager, and Kelloway).
But no matter how many laws and rules are implemented by the President and
businessmen, there will always be disputes between employers and employees (Peterson).
Without the conflict that unions often bring about, either they or employers would have control
over the other group. In order for businesses to succeed, there needs to be give and take on both
sides. That is part of why labor unions have been active in making workplace changes since 1877
(Yates). People naturally hope for a life better than the one they are currently living. This desire
is what drives people to join unions, even when they were looked down upon. Up until the
1930s, most labor unions were looked at with disdain and employers tried to have union-free
workplaces (Yates). How people viewed labor unions changed due in part to President Franklin
Roosevelts New Deal that assisted those looking for work. Lawrence Richards states in UnionFree America, By securing for workers the right to organize (the Wagner Act), New Dealers
hoped to raise the purchasing power of the working class and thus simulate the economy.
Because of this shift, workers and union members were looked upon as the underdogs of
society. However, that did not mean that every single individual agreed that labor unions and
their vying for change should be supported. The lack of approval that was often present for labor

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union members going on strike most likely would make morale of the strikers low throughout
and after the strike.
Even though labor unions are supposed to go through certain procedures in order to
legally go on strike, there have been strikes that did not follow those guidelines. For example, in
a chapter titled Antiunionism in the Citadel of Organized Labor: Organizing Clerical Workers
at New York University, Lawrence Richards depicts a strike that the Retail, Wholesale,
Distributive, and Processing Workers Union put on in order to organize the clerical workers at
New York University (NYU) in 1970. New York University was an antiunion campus at that
point in time and would not allow the clerical workers to join a union unless they created a
more broadly based union." The school wanted a union that was available for nearly every
employee at New York University, which, in a way, defeats the purpose of unions supporting
specific groups of people. So, the union went on a strike so that library workers could be part of
the union, and it eventually encompassed all clerical workers at the school. By having all of the
clerical workers included in the strike, the clerical workers accomplished the goal the university
had required in order for them to join a labor union: a broader based union. Richards states, All
along the university had maintained that the only appropriate bargaining unit was one that
encompassed all of the clerical workers and not only those in the library. But, the strike
continued, though the members and supporters had gotten their request. Eventually, the strikers
just declared the strike a success and prepared for a campus-wide election to vote for who
would run the new union. This strike put many aspects of how New York University functioned
to a halt, or at the very least slowed the universitys efficiency for the strikes two week span.
Though labor union strikes still occur today, they are not all that common. In the article,
Predicting Protest, the authors describe a paradox that occurs when people strike because only

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a minority of individuals are affected. They say, The paradox emerges from the observation that
the rewards of activism accrue to all affected individuals regardless of their participation
(Kelloway, Francis, Catano, and Teed). Not every member of a union is going to be willing to go
on strike when the union decides that is the best course of action. Militancy reflects the type of
actions an individual is willing to take on behalf of the union (Kelloway, Francis, Catano, and
Teed). For instance, someone who is simply in a labor union for the security and unifying
benefits may not be willing to go on strike, as he or she is not very actively involved in the
union. But, someone who has been a member for many years and holds a high ranking position
within the labor union will most likely be more willing to go with what the union decides is best
for the majority of its members.
Obviously, employers will be opposed to their employees refusing to work, but people
rarely think about the minority of labor union members who are opposed to the unions chosen
actions. However, it seems that employers issues arise only once the employees have verbalized
their problems. Looking back at the newsies strike of 1899, the two newspaper publishers had no
problem keeping the newspaper prices at high levels. It was only when the newsies went on
strike that the papers saw the error in their ways and changed the system so that more people
were benefitted.
In his article Some Psychological Factors to Consider in Strikes, Collective Violence
and the Killing of Non-Strikers, Lloyd Vogelman states, In ambiguous and anxiety-provoking
situations like strikes, particularly where workers have little experience of labour disputes,
individuals may feel helpless and confused. Once a strike has begun, it is often difficult to get
out of the strike, unless the strike ends. Usually, strikes must be fully resolved for strikers to
agree to go back to work. However, this is not always the case. For instance, Julian Barling and

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Jill Milligan performed a study on the psychological effects strikes have on employees. The
strike that Barling and Milligan examined concluded without the employees contracts being
improved.
Barling and Milligan state in the article Some Psychological Consequences of Striking:
A Six Month, Longitudinal Study that Processes other than financial loss might be operative
during and following a strike, and these processes may be similar to those that account for
negative psychological changes during and following unemployment. They later also say
Respondents in the present study changed their roles from being employed white-collar workers
involved in a labor dispute to individuals on strike and walking the picket line; to being
legislated back to work without a settlement The role changes mentioned could account for
the lasting feelings of depression many strikers feel, even six months after a strike ends. But,
being connected to family members, friends, and other coworkers may help reduce the negative
effects of strikes, though this has not been tested yet (Barling and Milligan).
Some strikes have had such an impact on society that they are still discussed years later.
A few of the more recent strikes still discussed are the Occupy Wall Street strike of 2011 and the
Walmart strike for higher wages in 2006. The newsies strike of 1899 was so impactful to some
that the story was turned into a movie musical in 1992 and then a Broadway musical in 2011.
The show depicts the strike from the perspective of one of the newsies, Jack Kelly, who leads the
boys against the newspaper publishers. The song The World Will Know could resonate with
anyone contemplating going on strike. It states Either they gives us our rights or we gives them
a war. Weve been down too long, and we paid our dues. And the things we do will be
tomorrows news. When people feel that they are not being treated fairly, they usually feel the
need to retaliate and make things right, or at least what they determine to be right. That is the

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goal of labor unions and strikes: fairness for employees who could not speak out individually.
This goal is so important to people that they are willing to risk long term psychological and
economic effects in order to bring justice back into the workplace.

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Works Cited
Barling, Julian, and Jill Milligan. "Some Psychological Consequences of Striking: A Six Month,
Longitudinal Study." ResearchGate. N.p., 1 Sept. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
Barling, Ontario Julian, Clive Fullagar, and E. Kevin. Kelloway. The Union and Its Members: A
Psychological Approach. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 1992. Web. 8 Nov 2015.
Gans, Andrew. "It's Over! Labor Dispute Resolved as Stagehands Strike Ends. Playbill.com.
Playbill.com. 28 Nov 2015. Web. 7 Dec 2015.
Good Work Code. Good Work Code, 2015. Web. 7 Dec 2015.
Greenhouse, Steven, and Campbell Robertson. "In Broadway Dispute, Questions of Fairness."
The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2007. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Kelloway, E. Kevin, Lori Francis, Victor M. Catano, and Michael Teed. "Predicting Protest."
Basic and Applied Social Psychology. Web. 8 Nov 2015.
Lunden, Jeff. "Broadway Stagehands Go on Strike." All Things Considered. National Public
Radio. 10 Nov. 2007. Web. 6 Oct 2015.
McCutcheon, Chuck. "Unions at a Crossroads: Can Labor Unions Reverse Their Decline?" CQ
Researcher. 7 Aug 2015. Web. 18 Oct 2015.
Peterson, Florence. American Labor Unions. New York: Harper, 1952. Print.
Richards, Lawrence. Union-free America: Workers and Antiunion Culture. Urbana: U of Illinois,
2008. Print.

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"The Right to Strike." National Labor Relations Board. National Labor Relations Board. n.d.
Web. 5 Oct 2015.
Robertson, Campbell. "Broadways Showdown: The Lowdown." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 13 Nov. 2007. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Stern, Liz. Blast From the Past: Newsboys Strike of 1899. New York Historical Society
Museum & Library: History Detectives. New York Historical Society Museum &
Library. 27 July 2012. Web. 3 Nov 2015.
"The White House Summit on Worker Voice." The White House. The White House, 7 Oct. 2015.
Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
Vogelman, L. "Some Psychological Factors to Consider in Strikes, Collective Violence and the
Killing of Non-strikers." Some Psychological Factors to Consider in Strikes, Collective
Violence and the Killing of Non-strikers. N.p., Sept. 1991. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Yates, Michael. Why Unions Matter. New York: Monthly Review, 1998. Print.