Slowdown

A slowdown is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. A slowdown may be used as either a prelude or an alternative to a strike, as it is seen as less disruptive as well as less risky and costly for workers and their union. Striking workers usually go unpaid and risk being replaced, so a slowdown is seen as a way to put pressure on management while avoiding these outcomes. Other times slowdowns are accompanied by intentional sabotage on the part of workers to provide further disruption.

Nonetheless, workers participating in a slowdown are often punished, sometimes by firing and other times by law.

At Ford's plant in Dagenham, UK, during the 1970s, workers introduced a slowdown after Ford management increased the production line speed from 18 to 21 feet per minute. This was a second speed increase and workers felt that this was unfair. After a slowdown by production line staff, Ford management reduced the line speed back to 18 feet per minute.

Slowdown (venue)

Slowdown is an entertainment venue located at 729 North 14 Street in NoDo, a new development near the Near North Side neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. A combination of a live music venue, shops, restaurants and apartments, the venue was developed by Saddle Creek Records as a direct competitor to the Sokol Auditorium in Little Bohemia. Slowdown is said to be "unlike anything in Omaha - or the Midwest" because of its comprehensive, mixed-use design. The venue is named after the group Slowdown Virginia, who have had a strong influence on "The Omaha Sound".

History

Slowdown began in 2000 as an idea to start a rock club. Jason Kulbel and Robb Nansel started with the idea to renovate a space somewhere in the downtown area and give Omaha the permanent music venue they felt it was lacking. As it became apparent that the perfect space for renovation was just not out there, Robb and Jason spent most of their time working on the expansion of Saddle Creek Records. In 2004, they decided that the renovation of an old space was never going to be ideal and started looking around for some land to buy. The intention now was to build a permanent home for both Slowdown and Saddle Creek.