Do you have the day off today? How come you're not at work now?
I don't have the day off. Our labor union is staging a nationwide strike today, all of the workers in our department are supporting the labor union by participating and not going in to work this week.
Are you serious? Why would they have to go to such extreme measures like a strike? Doesn't your company have a pretty good corporate image? I'll bet the folks at headquarters are going nuts over something as serious as a strike. . .
It happens quite often, actually. Whenever there arises a dispute between the union and the executive group, the first thing they do is to call a strike. Usually it only lasts a day or two before both sides can come to an agreement and we start work again. Anyhow, it's a nice, unanticipated holiday. . .