For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, February 9, 2018 USDL-18-0206
Technical information: (202) 691-6199 workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/wsp
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 pressoffice@bls.gov
MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2017
In 2017, there were 7 major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at
least one shift, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Since the series began
in 1947 this is the second lowest number of major work stoppages recorded in a year, the
lowest annual total was 5 in 2009. (See table 1.)
Major work stoppages beginning in 2017 idled 25,000 workers, the second lowest number of
workers idled annually since 1947. The lowest number of workers idled was 13,000 in 2009. In
2017 the information industry sector had the most workers idled by a major work stoppage
with 15,000 workers, which accounted for over half of all workers idled. Public
administration accounted for the second largest number of workers idled by major work
stoppages with over 5,000 workers, or a fifth of all workers idled. (See tables 1 and 2.)
In 2017, the largest major work stoppage by days idle occurred between Charter
Communications and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union with 345,600
total days idle and involving 1,800 workers. This work stoppage was one of two major
work stoppages within the information industry, the second was between AT&T and the
Communication Workers of America involving 13,200 workers and lasting one day.
The work stoppage between the Chicago New Car Dealer Committee and the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union involved 1,700 workers for a total of
56,100 days idle. (See table 2.)
TECHNICAL NOTE
Information on work stoppages is obtained from reports from the Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service, state labor market information offices, BLS Strike Report from the
Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, and from media sources. One or both
parties involved in the work stoppage (employer, employer group or union) is contacted to
verify the duration and number of workers idled by the stoppage.
Work stoppages are strikes or lockouts. A strike is a temporary stoppage of work by a group
of employees (not necessarily union members) to express a grievance or enforce a demand. A
lockout is a temporary withholding or denial of employment during a labor dispute to enforce
terms of employment upon a group of employees. Because of the complexity of most labor-
management disputes, BLS makes no attempt to distinguish between strikes and lockouts in
work stoppages statistics.
Number of workers includes all workers made idle for one shift or longer in establishments
directly involved in a stoppage. It includes those who initiate the strike as well as others
in the establishment who honor picket lines or are idled because the plant is closed down.
Other branches or plants of the struck employer may also be affected, and workers so idled
are counted. The data do not account for secondary idleness, i.e., the effect of a stoppage
on other establishments or industries whose employees may be made idle as a result of
material or service shortages.
Days of idleness are the aggregate number of work days lost as a result of a work stoppage.
It is calculated by multiplying the number of workers involved in the stoppage by the number
of days the stoppage is in effect. Aggregate figures are the result of summing all products
thus obtained. The number of lost workdays for every major work stoppage is based on a 5-day
workweek (Monday through Friday), excluding federal holidays.
Percent of estimated working time lost is calculated by dividing the days of idleness for
the period by the available work days for the period. The available work days for the period
is computed by multiplying the average employment for the period by the number of days
typically worked by most employed workers during that period. In these computations,
Saturdays (when customarily not worked), Sundays, and established Federal holidays are
excluded. Also, private household, forestry, and fishery employees are excluded from the
average employment data.
Monthly time series data since 1981 have been published for the series below and are
available at www.bls.gov/wsp/#data. Annual averages are also available for some series back
to 1947.
*Number of work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more beginning in the period
*Number of work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more in effect in the period
*Number of workers involved in work stoppages beginning in the period
*Number of workers involved in work stoppages in effect in the period
*Days of idleness resulting from work stoppages in effect in the period
*Days of idleness resulting from work stoppages in effect in the period, as a percent of
estimated working time
Detailed work stoppage data since 1993 are available at www.bls.gov/wsp/monthly_listing.htm
and include organization(s) involved, location, beginning and ending dates, the number of
workers, and total days of idleness. Additional historical information from 1936 to 1979 are
available at www.bls.gov/wsp/wspfaq.htm#Question_10.
Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2017
Number of Days idle(2)
work Numbers of
stoppages workers
Period beginning involved Percent of
in (thousands)- Number estimated
period (1) (thousands) working
time(3)
2017............................... 7 25 440 (4)
2016............................... 15 99 1,543 (4)
2015............................... 12 47 740 (4)
2014............................... 11 34 200 (4)
2013............................... 15 55 290 (4)
2012............................... 19 148 1,131 (4)
2011............................... 19 113 1,020 (4)
2010............................... 11 45 302 (4)
2009............................... 5 13 124 (4)
2008............................... 15 72 1,954 .01
2007............................... 21 189 1,265 (4)
2006............................... 20 70 2,688 .01
2005............................... 22 100 1,736 .01
2004............................... 17 171 3,344 .01
2003............................... 14 129 4,091 .01
2002............................... 19 46 660 (4)
2001............................... 29 99 1,151 (4)
2000............................... 39 394 20,419 .06
1999............................... 17 73 1,996 .01
1998............................... 34 387 5,116 .02
1997............................... 29 339 4,497 .01
1996............................... 37 273 4,889 .02
1995............................... 31 192 5,771 .02
1994............................... 45 322 5,021 .02
1993............................... 35 182 3,981 .01
1992............................... 35 364 3,989 .01
1991............................... 40 392 4,584 .02
1990............................... 44 185 5,926 .02
1989............................... 51 452 16,996 .07
1988............................... 40 118 4,381 .02
1987............................... 46 174 4,481 .02
1986............................... 69 533 11,861 .05
1985............................... 54 324 7,079 .03
1984............................... 62 376 8,499 .04
1983............................... 81 909 17,461 .08
1982............................... 96 656 9,061 .04
1981............................... 145 729 16,908 .07
1980............................... 187 795 20,844 .09
1979............................... 235 1,021 20,409 .09
1978............................... 219 1,006 23,774 .11
1977............................... 298 1,212 21,258 .10
1976............................... 231 1,519 23,962 .12
1975............................... 235 965 17,563 .09
1974............................... 424 1,796 31,809 .16
1973............................... 317 1,400 16,260 .08
1972............................... 250 975 16,764 .09
1971............................... 298 2,516 35,538 .19
1970............................... 381 2,468 52,761 .29
1969............................... 412 1,576 29,397 .16
1968............................... 392 1,855 35,367 .20
1967............................... 381 2,192 31,320 .18
1966............................... 321 1,300 16,000 .10
1965............................... 268 999 15,140 .10
1964............................... 246 1,183 16,220 .11
1963............................... 181 512 10,020 .07
1962............................... 211 793 11,760 .08
1961............................... 195 1,031 10,140 .07
1960............................... 222 896 13,260 .09
1959............................... 245 1,381 60,850 .43
1958............................... 332 1,587 17,900 .13
1957............................... 279 887 10,340 .07
1956............................... 287 1,370 26,840 .20
1955............................... 363 2,055 21,180 .16
1954............................... 265 1,075 16,630 .13
1953............................... 437 1,623 18,130 .14
1952............................... 470 2,746 48,820 .38
1951............................... 415 1,462 15,070 .12
1950............................... 424 1,698 30,390 .26
1949............................... 262 2,537 43,420 .38
1948............................... 245 1,435 26,127 .22
1947............................... 270 1,629 25,720 (5)
1 Number of workers involved includes only those workers who participated in work
stoppages that began in the calendar year. Workers are counted more than once if they
are involved in more than one stoppage during the reference period. Numbers are rounded
to the nearest thousand.
2 Days idle includes all stoppages in effect during the reference period. For work
stoppages that are still ongoing at the end of the calendar year, only those days of
idleness in the calendar year are counted.
3 Percent of estimated working time is calculated using employment estimates from the
Current Employment Statistics program and the number of workdays in the month and number
of days idle from the Work Stoppages program.
4 Less than .005.
5 Data not available.
Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2017
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| Industry | Beginning| Ending | Number of| Days
Organizations involved, | code(1) | date | date |workers(2)| idle(3)
location, and sector | | | | |
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| | | | |
University of California | | | | |
Statewide CA | | | | |
International Brotherhood of Teamsters | | | | |
Local 2010, CX Unit (Clerical) | | | | |
(State Government)..............................| 611310 | 1/10/17 | 1/10/17 | 2,200 | 2,200
| | | | |
AT&T Inc. | | | | |
Los Angeles, CA, NV | | | | |
Communications Workers of America | | | | |
(Private Industry)..............................| 517110 | 3/22/17 | 3/22/17 | 13,200 | 13,200
| | | | |
Charter Communications Inc. | | | | |
NY, NJ | | | | |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | | | | |
Local 3 | | | | |
(Private Industry)..............................| 517110 | 3/28/17 | ongoing | 1,800 | 345,600
| | | | |
Tufts Medical Center | | | | |
Boston, MA | | | | |
Massachusetts Nurses Association | | | | |
(Private Industry)..............................| 622110 | 7/12/17 | 7/17/17 | 1,200 | 3,600
| | | | |
Chicago New Car Dealer Committee | | | | |
Chicago, IL | | | | |
International Association of Machinists | | | | |
and Aerospace Workers | | | | |
(Private Industry)..............................| 441110 | 8/01/17 | 9/15/17 | 1,700 | 56,100
| | | | |
Riverside County Municipal Government | | | | |
Riverside, CA | | | | |
Service Employees International Union, Local 721| | | | |
(Local Government)..............................| 921100 | 9/06/17 | 9/07/17 | 2,300 | 4,600
| | | | |
City of Oakland | | | | |
Oakland, CA | | | | |
Service Employees International Union | | | | |
Local 1021 | | | | |
International Technical and Professional | | | | |
Engineers, Local 21 | | | | |
(Local Government)..............................| 921100 | 12/05/17 | 12/11/17 | 2,900 | 14,500
| | | | |
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1 Industry code is from the 2012 NAICS (North American Industry Classification System).
2 The number of workers involved is rounded to the nearest 100.
3 Days idle includes all stoppages in effect during the calendar year. For work stoppages beginning in
a prior year, days idle are counted for current calendar year totals but not listed in this table.
United States Department of Labor
