Legal Definitions - wildcat strike

A wildcat strike is a work stoppage initiated by a group of employees without the official authorization or approval of their labor union. These strikes are often spontaneous reactions to immediate workplace issues and can occur even when a collective bargaining agreement is in place, which might prohibit such actions. Because they are not sanctioned by the union, wildcat strikes can sometimes violate existing labor contracts and may not receive the legal protections afforded to authorized strikes.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Factory Floor Protest

  Workers on an automotive assembly line suddenly stop working and walk off the job after management announces a mandatory, unpaid overtime shift with only an hour's notice, violating a long-standing informal understanding. Their elected union representatives were not consulted about this decision and did not authorize the walkout. This is a wildcat strike because the employees ceased work without the official backing or approval of their union, making it an unauthorized and spontaneous action.

• Example 2: Hospital Staff Action

  A group of nurses in a hospital's intensive care unit collectively refuse to admit new patients and cease non-critical duties, protesting what they perceive as dangerously severe understaffing that compromises patient safety. Their union, which is currently in contract negotiations, had not called for or sanctioned this specific job action. This illustrates a wildcat strike because the nurses took direct industrial action without the formal authorization of their union, even if their concerns were legitimate.

• Example 3: Logistics Drivers' Stoppage

  Truck drivers for a major logistics company, frustrated by a sudden increase in delivery quotas without corresponding pay adjustments, collectively refuse to start their routes one morning. Their union's collective bargaining agreement includes a "no-strike" clause, and the union leadership was actively trying to negotiate a solution with management, not calling for a strike. This is a wildcat strike because the drivers initiated a work stoppage independently, without their union's authorization, and potentially in violation of their existing labor contract.