On Strike

Any storyline that involves workers going on strike, whether the characters themselves are striking or someone else's strike is affecting their lives.

Fernwood 2 Night

Appearances

• The Patty Duke Show: Season 2, episode 4, "Patty, the Organizer" (1964). Patty decides to organize a union of the kids in the house and negotiate with her parents for "fringe benefits." When the union feels management is exploiting them, they go on strike.
• Get Smart: Season 2, episode 2, "Strike While the Agent is Hot" (1966). Max becomes the head of the Control agents union and tries to negotiate with the Chief for better treatment and more perks for agents.
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 2, episode 8, "Thoroughly Unmilitant Mary" (1971). The TV news unions go on strike, leaving Mary and Lou to run the newsroom and fill in for other WJM shows.
• Barney Miller: Season 3, episodes 21-22, "Strike" (1977). Most of the cops at the 12th precinct called out sick to protest unacceptable working conditions (except Fish, who is actually sick), and Harris, Deitrich, Wojo, and Yemana walk out at noon in solidarity, leaving Barney alone with Levitt and Inspector Luger.
• What's Happening!!: Season 2, episode 11, "One Strike and You're Out" (1977). Raj and his co-workers are unhappy with the conditions at the grocery store, so Raj encourages everyone to go on strike, but when he finds out his mother has to take two weeks off from work due to hypertension, he changes his mind and tries to talk them out of it.
• Fernwood 2 Night: Episode 29, "Barbershop Trio" (1977). The Mirth Makers go on strike, leaving Happy to provide the music alone. One member of a barbershop quartet strikes in sympathy with the musicians.
• Are You Being Served?: Season 7, episode 8, "The Punch and Judy Affair" (1979). Most of the employees of Grace Brothers go on strike, but the staff of the clothing department decide to cross the picket line, leading to tension with their colleagues.
• Taxi: Season 2, episode 19, "Shut It Down: Part 1" (1980). The cabs at the Sunshine Cab Company are falling apart, leading to dangerous accidents. When the boss refuses to do anything about it, the drivers go on strike.
• Too Close for Comfort: Season 2, episode 5, "What's Our Rush?" (1981). Jackie leads a group of women tellers at the bank where she works in demanding equal pay. When the management doesn't comply, they go on strike and picket the bank.
• Mr. Belvedere: Season 2, episode 8, "Vows" (1985). The newspaper where George works goes on strike for over a month, forcing the family to tighten their purse strings.
• It's a Living: Season 5, episode 7, "Search and Strike" (1987). Sonny's union goes on strike, so he reluctantly walks out on the restaurant and then tries to sneak back in disguised as a Mexican guitar player named "Enrique Gomez."
• ALF: Season 3, episode 9, "Changes" (1988). Willie's union goes on strike and names him picket president.
• Night Court: Season 7, episodes 15-16, "Wedding Bell Blues" (1990). Art and the other city maintenance workers go on strike, so rest of the staff has to pitch in to take up the slack.
• Murphy Brown: Season 2, episode 12, "The Strike" (1990). The network technicians go on strike, causing chaos on the show. When negotiations stall, Murphy invites both sides to her house and refuses to let them leave until they work it out.
• Murphy Brown: Season 3, episode 4, "Strike Two" (1990). The on-air talent at FYI goes on strike, and the substitute anchor isn't up to a big interview, so Miles has to do it himself.
• The Nanny: Season 2, episode 13, "The Strike" (1994). The busboys are on strike at a restaurant where Fran, the Sheffields, and CC are going out to dinner after seeing Mr. Sheffield's new play. Fran is reluctant to cross the picket line outside the door, but Mr. Sheffield pulls her into the restaurant. When a snapshot of the incident appears in the newspaper, people start picketing the play.
• Frasier: Season 3, episode 6, "Sleeping with the Enemy" (1995). The KACL support staff, including Roz, go on strike, and Frasier tries to rally the on-air talent to back them up.
• NewsRadio: Season 4, episodes 12-13, "Who's the Boss" (1998). Joe's union goes on strike, and as he's the only member who works for WNYX, he forms a one-man picket line.
• Dharma & Greg: Season 3, episode 20, "Talkin' About My Regeneration" (2000). When Larry finds out that Celia, the Montgomerys' maid, doesn't have dental insurance, he convinces her to form her own union and go on strike.