blue flu
Mass police sick-out used as a back-door strike.
Definitions
An informal strike where large numbers of cops call in sick simultaneously to apply pressure during a contract or political dispute. Plausibly deniable, deeply effective.
blue flu In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
US, 1960s–70s. Many police forces are legally barred from striking, so officers stage coordinated 'illnesses' on the same shift. The uniform is blue; nobody's actually sick.
People Also Ask
What does blue flu mean?
Blue flu is a mass police sick-out — officers calling in sick en masse as a back-door way to strike, since many are legally barred from striking outright.
How do you use blue flu in a sentence?
"Half the precinct came down with the blue flu the week after the contract talks collapsed."
Why is it called the blue flu?
"Blue" refers to police uniforms and the phrase "the boys in blue," while "flu" nods to the sudden wave of sick calls being used as cover for a coordinated protest.
Comments 0