Strike!

The great London strike of 1768. Workers on the waterfront, textile workers, coal miners, craftsmen and sailors walked out to protest wage cuts, poor working conditions, and rigid discipline. They acted within a circle of slave rebellions, strikes, and riots that were taking place throughout the Atlantic world. The sailors “struck” the sails of their ships, bringing commerce to a standstill and providing a word that we still use when workers conduct collective job actions to defend their interests: the STRIKE.

This poster depicting workers striking a merchant ship’s sails teaches the origin of the word “Strike” within the modern labor movement. Originally screen printed in the 1990s by Northland Poster Collective, we’ve reissued it as an 11×17 digital print.