Social Networks and the Spread of Strikes

Abstract

This paper examines the role of social networks in the diffusion of labor strikes in the United States. Using new data from the Cornell ILR Labor Action Tracker (2021–2024) and Facebook-based county connectedness measures, we document that strikes spread primarily through social networks rather than spatial, industrial, or political linkages. A 1% increase in network exposure is associated with a 2.3% contemporaneous and 0.8% lagged increase in strike activity. We show that both informational and behavioral channels drive diffusion. Policy and administrative environments, such as right-to-work laws and publicsector notice requirements, shape the timing and persistence of these network effects.