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Factors That Led To Crossing The Picket-Line: An Autoethnography Of A Faculty Striker, Giovanna Follo

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy

Historically, academic strikes are not frequent and are short. Much of the research examines why academic strikes occur; however, few explore the individual multidimensional striker. The research question in this autoethnographic essay explored, “What factors led me, a pro-union advocate, to cross the picket line?” Crossing the picket meant going back to work before the strike was declared over. The self-reflexive narrative examines several themes, including the mental health burden of anxiety and stress, the place of coercive power used when the administration pursues extreme threats, the role that unions play in setting up expectations at the outset of a …