Alternative to a strike [cough cough]

SICKOUT

Think of a coordinated absence where workers call in unwell instead of walking off the job—often used to avoid legal trouble.

This clue plays on two meanings of "strike." Workers might go on strike to protest, but here "strike" is also a pun—it sounds like the coughing fit you get when you're sick. The answer "SICKOUT" refers to employees calling in sick en masse as an alternative to a traditional strike, while the "[cough cough]" hints at the illness angle. It’s a clever way to tie labor actions to a literal symptom.