THE STRIKE
Building Workers’ Power Today
March 28-29th, 2025
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The UMass Amherst Labor Center is bringing together workers, leaders, and scholars from across the U.S. and around the world to explore the power of strikes and collective action. Join us for this 1.5-day event featuring interactive workshops, activist and research panels, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities as we dive into the dynamics and potential of collective action in the 2020s and beyond
Conference Program
Schedule Overview
Friday, March 28
4:00PM – 6:30PM: Registration
6:30PM: Keynote from Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants & Opening Plenary
7:15PM: PLENARY: Striking for Solidarity
Katy Fox-Hodess, University of Sheffield
Erik Helgeson, Swedish Dockworkers Union (SDU)
Sam Levens, ITF Inspector Northern California
Gonzalo Diaz, Advisor to the National Confederation of Port Workers in Chile
Saturday, March 29
8:30AM – 9:30AM: Registration & Breakfast
9:30AM – 11:00AM: Session 1
1.1 Media and Strikes – How to Get Media Coverage for Your Strike
1.2 Labor Councils and Strikes
1.3 Education for Power: Teaching Skills and Developing Confidence
1.4 Global Strikes and Supply Chains
1.5 Mutual Aid on the Picket Line
1.6 May 1st, 2028 and Beyond
1.7 Strikes and Solidarity: Worker Struggles and Palestine
11:00AM – 11:30AM: Morning Break
11:30AM – 1:00PM: Session 2
2.1 Building a Strike Ready Local in the Public Sector
2.2 Teaching About Unions & Collective Action: A Curricular Perspective
2.3 FILM: The Strike
2.4 Engaging the Public in Your Fight
2.5 Lessons from the Teamsters: Getting Strike Ready
2.6 Waking the Giant: Moving New England’s Largest Union Hospital to Strike
2.7 Striking the News
1:00PM – 2:00PM: Lunch
2:00PM – 3:30PM: Session 3
3.1 Moving from Defense to Offense: A Practical Radicals Workshop
3.2 Do Workers Need Structural Power to Strike?
3.3 Prison Strikes
3.4 The Museum Union Wave: Lessons from Philly Culture Workers
3.5 Building a Rank-and-File Research Team for Your Strike
3.6 Student Workers Striking in Higher Education
3.7 Struggling Against AI Scabs
3:30PM – 4:00PM: Afternoon Break
4:00PM – 5:30PM: Session 4
4.1 Lessons from PHENOM: Strikes, Solidarity & Student-Worker Alliances
4.2 Strike Exit Strategy
4.3 First-Person Narratives & Workers’ Inquiry in Organizing
4.4 Public Transit Strikes in New York City
4.5 Comparative Perspectives on Strike Waves
4.6 NLRB, Strikes, and Democracy
4.7 Unemployment Insurance for Striking Workers
5:30PM – 7:00PM: Dinner
7:30PM – 9:00PM: PLENARY: Lessons from the Frontlines
Christy Nickerson, Woburn Teachers Association, MTA
Regan, Star Garden Strippers
Tony Perlstein, UAW International
TBA, UNITE HERE Local 217 in New Haven
9:00PM Closing Party and Reception
Registration
Registration is open! Registration will close on March 8, 2025.
Registration tips!
- If you get an error page, look at the top left for “home” tab and navigate there
- If Iris asks you for a code, the code is: TheStrike
- If you are still having trouble, email us for support: strike2025@umass.edu
FAQ
Registration Fees
Registration opens on January 1, 2025. Thanks to our sponsors, the registration fee is $25, including dinner on Saturday evening. We welcome additional donations from community members who can help offset costs. Students and members of the Five College community attend for free.
Accommodations
We strongly encourage you to stay on-campus at Hotel UMass when possible. Hotel UMass is the only unionized hotel in the area, and it is very convenient to sessions and meals (and includes a continental breakfast). The conference rate is $189.00/room/night + fees.
The deadline to reserve is February 28, 2025, or until space fills. The link below will take you directly to The Strike Hotel UMass reservation page.
Mutual Aid
If you want to attend the conference but need assistance—such as housing, transportation, or other resources—please join our mutual aid group. This platform connects you with other attendees who can offer support to help make your attendance possible.
Tabling
If your organization is interested in having a table at the event, please send us an email at: strike2025@umass.edu.
Accessibility
We aim to have an inclusive, accessible event that enables all workers to fully engage. Please let us know in advance if there are any specific adjustments we need to make to allow you to fully participate in the conference. Contact us at strike2025@umass.edu.
Childcare
We are pleased to offer childcare at the event in collaboration with the Childcare Collective of Western Massachusetts. We recognize the importance of making conferences accessible to parents and caregivers, and we are grateful for the partnership that allows us to provide this service. If you require childcare during the conference, please email us at strike2025@umass.edu.
Sponsors
