ESL Podcast 989 - Dealing with a Mass Transit Strike

union - an organization created to protect the rights of workers, who are its members

The teachers union is demanding higher salaries and a limit on class size.

to strike - for a group of people to temporarily stop working because they want to be treated better or have greater benefits

If the airline employees strike, it will create a lot of problems for travelers.

mass - involving many people; including all people

The mass movement of so many people makes it very difficult to drive in the city before and after important football games.

walkout - an event where all workers, students, meeting participants, or audience members leave to protest (show their disagreement with) something

The students staged a walkout to show their disagreement with what the guest speaker was saying.

to walk off the job - to leave one's job; to abruptly stop working when one should continue to work, especially to protect something

If you walk off the job, don't bother coming back tomorrow, because you're fired.

commute - the period of time when most people drive from home to work, or from work to home

During the morning commute, local radio stations have a lot of traffic updates to let people know where traffic is slow.

to calculate - to consider something very carefully and make a strategic decision that will provide some benefit to oneself

Cigarette companies carefully calculated the advantages of marketing to young people, since getting them to smoke early will make them customers for life.

impact - affect; result; outcome

Which invention has had the greatest impact on daily life: the automobile or the cell phone?

the powers that be - decision-makers; authorities; people with a lot of power and influence

The powers that be refuse to tighten gun laws, even though most voters want to see the laws changed.

to sit up and take notice - to pay attention to something; to focus one's attention and interest on something

Mariah is normally so quiet, but when she spoke up in class and shared her opinion, everyone sat up and took notice.

to halt - to make something stop

The police officer held up his hand to halt traffic in one direction.

standstill - without any movement; stillness

When the space shuttle exploded, everyone stood at a standstill, unable to believe what they had seen.

disgruntled - unhappy, dissatisfied, and discontent

This department is known for having disgruntled employees who don't care about providing good customer service.

to be restored - to be fixed and returned to normal

The power company apologized for the power outage and promises that electricity will be restored as soon as possible.

to be stranded - to be left somewhere without any way to leave that place; to be abandoned without a way to return

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only one book, which book would it be, and why?

mass transit - public transportation; transportation services designed to move many people through a city and/or its surrounding area

The mass transit system uses a combination of busses and light rail to move hundreds of thousands of people each year.

that's a shame - that's too bad; a phrase used to show that one feels bad about something or thinks it's a pity

A: Did you hear that Bryan's new puppy ran away? B: That's a shame.