Block the Boat for Palestine! Community Picket Lines As a Tactic of Social Movement Unionism on the U.S. Docks, 2014-2021

In the wake of increasing workplace actions in the U.S., this paper explores how innovative strategies, like community picket lines, are revitalising labour movements despite a hostile legal environment. Political strikes and secondary actions have been largely illegal since the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, compelling unions and activists to adopt creative forms of protest. This paper investigates the effectiveness of community picket lines in enabling private sector workers to engage in de facto work stoppages outside the traditional legal framework. Focusing on four port-based Palestine solidarity actions between 2014 and 2021—at Oakland, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Seattle/Tacoma, and New York/New Jersey—the findings suggest that success depends on both the organising context and practices. Key factors include the proximity of worksites to populated areas, union history, picket line size, availability of "bridge-builders," and comprehensive outreach. The paper highlights the broader implications of community picket lines for social movement unionism across strategic industries.