common situs picketing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / TechnicalTechnical / Legal / Industrial Relations
Quick answer
What does “common situs picketing” mean?
A labour union strategy of picketing an entire construction site, even if only one of the many subcontractors is involved in a specific dispute.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A labour union strategy of picketing an entire construction site, even if only one of the many subcontractors is involved in a specific dispute.
A tactic in labour relations where a union, engaged in a dispute with a single subcontractor on a multi-employer worksite, pickets the entire site's common entrances, thereby encouraging all workers from other contractors to honour the picket line and stop work. Its legality is often a subject of specific labour law regulation, balancing the right to strike with economic disruption to neutral employers.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively American. British labour law does not recognize an identical legal concept under this name. A similar broad-site picketing action in the UK would typically be described within the framework of 'secondary action' or 'sympathetic action', which is heavily restricted.
Connotations
In an American context, it carries strong legal and historical connotations tied to the construction industry, the Taft-Hartley Act, and National Labor Relations Board rulings. It implies a strategic, often aggressive, labour tactic. In a UK/international context, the term is a niche import from US legal discourse.
Frequency
Very high frequency in specific US labour law texts and historical accounts of construction unionism. Extremely low to zero frequency in British English, including in comparable legal or industrial discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “common situs picketing” in a Sentence
The union [verb: engaged in/organized/initiated] common situs picketing.The law [verb: prohibits/regulates/authorizes] common situs picketing.A dispute [verb: led to/resulted in] common situs picketing at the site.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “common situs picketing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [Not used as a verb in British English]
American English
- [Rarely verbed; the noun form is standard. One might see: 'The union threatened to common-situs-picket the project.']
adverb
British English
- [Not applicable]
American English
- [Not applicable]
adjective
British English
- [Not used adjectivally in British English]
American English
- The court reviewed the common-situs-picketing doctrine.
- A common-situs-picketing clause was added to the agreement.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Discussed in HR and executive briefings on labour risk, particularly for construction projects.
Academic
Used in papers on labour law, industrial relations, union strategy, and economic history.
Everyday
Virtually never used. A person might encounter it in detailed news reports on major US construction strikes.
Technical
Core term in US labour law textbooks, union training materials, and construction contract risk clauses.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “common situs picketing”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “common situs picketing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “common situs picketing”
- Using 'common situs' to describe any large protest (incorrect; it's industry- and law-specific).
- Pronouncing 'situs' as /ˈsɪt.əs/ (incorrect; it's /ˈsaɪ.təs/).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'They common-situs-picketed the site' is non-standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Its legality varies by jurisdiction and specific circumstances. In the United States, it is heavily regulated by federal labour law (like the Taft-Hartley Act) and NLRB decisions, often being restricted or subject to strict rules to protect 'neutral' employers on the site.
The term uses the Latin word 'situs', meaning 'site' or 'location'. It emphasises that the picketing is defined by the common physical location (the construction site) shared by multiple employers, rather than by the specific employer in dispute.
It is a concept born from and primarily applied to the construction industry due to its unique multi-employer, fixed-site nature. Similar concepts in other industries (like a shipping port) might be analysed under related but distinct legal frameworks like 'secondary picketing' or 'area standards picketing'.
For: Unions argue it is necessary for effective leverage in an industry where a single subcontractor's workers are intermingled with others on a shared site. Against: Employers argue it unfairly harms neutral businesses not involved in the dispute, causing undue economic coercion.
A labour union strategy of picketing an entire construction site, even if only one of the many subcontractors is involved in a specific dispute.
Common situs picketing is usually technical / legal / industrial relations in register.
Common situs picketing: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɒm.ən ˈsaɪ.təs ˈpɪk.ɪ.tɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɑː.mən ˈsaɪ.t̬əs ˈpɪk.ə.t̬ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None directly associated; the term itself is technical]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COMMON ENTRANCE (situs) to a construction site where PICKETING occurs, affecting everyone who shares that common entrance, not just one company's workers.
Conceptual Metaphor
LABOUR DISPUTE AS CONTAGION. The dispute with one 'infected' subcontractor is allowed to 'spread' via the common location (situs) to 'infect' all other workers and contractors on site, forcing a shutdown.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary defining feature of 'common situs picketing'?