The Right to Strike: Important Symbol, but Imperfect Persuader - Ottawa Life Magazine

The Right to Strike: Important Symbol, but Imperfect Persuader - Ottawa Life Magazine

The right to strike is something of a sacred touchstone for the labour movement, and with good reason. Throughout most of the 19th century, it was illegal for a group of workers to collectively withhold their labour, as it was deemed to be a conspiracy “in restraint of trade”.  In the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century, the rise of collective bargaining for organized groups of employees was largely leveraged by the newly establ…