Fight the power! A timeless lesson on employee relations from "What's Happening!!"

As I settled in for a quiet Friday night in front of the TV, I stumbled upon one of my guilty pleasures — “What’s Happening!!” If your unfamiliar with this late 70s sitcom gem, it tells the story of three high-school friends growing up in the Watts section of Los Angeles, Raj, Dwayne, and Rerun, along with Raj’s pest of a little sister, Dee, their strong-willed single mom, Mabel, and the wise-cracking waitress at the local diner, Shirley.

The episode upon which I stumbled is called One Strike and You’re Out. It’s not as good as the classic “Doobie Brothers” episode, but, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

Here’s the synopsis, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Rerun being fired from the supermarket is the last straw for Raj, who rallies the rest of the workers to take some action against their boss Mr. Pronson. However, when the staff goes on strike, Raj finds himself in a jam, since Mama has lost her job and the family now has no source of income.

Enjoy this little slice of sitcom history, which teaches the important and timeless lesson that appearances aren’t always what they seem with your employees, what motivates their actions might not be what you think, and employees have lives outside of work that can, and often do, impact how they behave on the job.

Part One:



Part Two: