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For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 10, 2016 USDL-16-0272 Technical information: (202) 691-6275 workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov http://www.bls.gov/wsp Media contact: (202) 691-5902 pressoffice@bls.gov MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2015 In 2015, there were 12 major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at least one shift, one more than in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Since the series began in 1947 the lowest annual total was 5 in 2009. (See table 1 and chart 1.) Major work stoppages beginning in 2015 idled 47,000 workers, higher than the 34,000 workers of 2014. In 2015, there were 740,000 days idle from major work stoppages in effect, also higher than 2014 with 200,000 days idle. In 2015, private industry organizations accounted for over 92 percent of the total days idle, consisting of 684,000 days of idleness. In 2015, oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, and educational services industries accounted for approximately 89 percent of all days idle for major work stoppages in 2015. (See tables 1 and 2 and chart 2.) In 2015, the largest major work stoppage in terms of days idle was between Royal Dutch Shell Oil and other refineries, and the United Steelworkers Union with up to 6,600 workers at its February 2015 peak. This work stoppage accounted for 322,100 total days idle. Other major refineries involved in this work stoppage included British Petroleum, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, LyondellBasell, Marathon Oil Corporation, Motiva Enterprises, and Tesoro Corporation. The second largest work stoppage in 2015 in terms of days idle was between Allegheny Technologies Incorporated and the United Steelworkers Union, involving 2,200 workers with 206,800 days idle. This work stoppage was still ongoing at the end of 2015. (See table 2.)
TECHNICAL NOTE The major work stoppages series dates back to 1947. The term “major work stoppage” includes both worker-initiated strikes and employer-initiated lockouts that involve 1,000 workers or more and lasting at least one shift. BLS does not distinguish between lockouts and strikes in this publication. 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 or union) is contacted to verify the duration and number of workers idled by the stoppage. Days of idleness is calculated by multiplying the number of workers involved in the strike or lockout by the number of days workers are off the job. The number of lost workdays for every major work stoppage is based on a 5-day workweek (Monday through Friday), excluding federal holidays. Monthly major work stoppages data The Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles detailed monthly statistics on major work stoppages at www.bls.gov/wsp. Monthly time series data since 1981 have been published (data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?ws) for the following tables: * 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 historical major work stoppages data Detailed data for each major work stoppage since 1993 are available at www.bls.gov/wsp/monthly_listing.htm. The major work stoppages historical data file includes the organization involved, location, beginning and ending work stoppage dates, the number of workers, and total days idle. Major work stoppages detailed information and measures For more information on Work Stoppages methods and measures, see “Chapter 8. National Compensation Measures” of the BLS Handbook of Methods at: www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch8.pdf.
Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2015 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) 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 stopages 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 Agricultural and government employees are included in the calculation of estimated working time; private households, forestry, and fishery employees are excluded. 4 Less than .005. 5 Data not available.
Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2015 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | Industry | Beginning| Ending | Number of| Days Organizations involved, | code(1) | date | date |workers(2)| idle(3) location, and sector | | | | | _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | Kaiser Permanente Hospitals | | | | | Statewide CA | | | | | National Union of Healthcare Workers | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 622110 | 1/12/15 | 1/19/15 | 3,500 | 17,500 | | | | | Royal Dutch Shell Oil and Other Refineries(4) | | | | | CA, IN, KY, LA, OH, TX, WA | | | | | United Steelworkers Union | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 211111 | 2/01/15 | 6/23/15 | 6,600 | 322,100 | | | | | Washington State Legislature | | | | | WA | | | | | Washington Education Association | | | | | Statewide Local Affiliations | | | | | (State Government)(5)...........................| 611110 | 4/22/15 | 6/03/15 | 16,900 | 16,900 | | | | | Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, | | | | | Mills-Peninsula Health Services (Sutter), | | | | | Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, | | | | | Sutter Roseville Medical Center, | | | | | Sutter Santa Rosa Medical Center | | | | | Central CA | | | | | California Nurses Association | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 622110 | 4/30/15 | 5/05/15 | 1,700 | 5,100 | | | | | Allegheny Technologies Incorporated | | | | | OH, PA, WV | | | | | United Steelworkers Union | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 331110 | 8/15/15 | ongoing | 2,200 | 206,800 | | | | | Consolidated Nuclear Security | | | | | Amarillo, TX | | | | | Amarillo Metal Trades Council | | | | | OPEIU Local 306 | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 325180 | 8/29/15 | 10/03/15 | 1,200 | 28,800 | | | | | Pasco School District | | | | | Pasco, WA | | | | | Pasco Association of Educators | | | | | (Local Government)..............................| 611110 | 9/01/15 | 9/13/15 | 1,100 | 8,800 | | | | | Seattle School District | | | | | Seattle, WA | | | | | Seattle Education Association | | | | | (Local Government)..............................| 611110 | 9/09/15 | 9/15/15 | 5,000 | 25,000 | | | | | Kohler Company | | | | | Sheboygan, WI | | | | | United Auto Workers | | | | | Local 833 | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 332913 | 11/15/15 | 12/15/15 | 2,100 | 44,100 | | | | | Solano County Municipal Government | | | | | Solano County, CA | | | | | Solano County Municipal Government Employees | | | | | SEIU Local 1021 | | | | | (Local Government)..............................| 921110 | 11/17/15 | 11/18/15 | 1,800 | 3,600 | | | | | Sonoma County Municipal Government | | | | | Sonoma County, CA | | | | | Sonoma County Municipal Government Employees | | | | | SEIU Local 1021 | | | | | (Local Government)..............................| 921110 | 11/17/15 | 11/17/15 | 2,000 | 2,000 | | | | | Nexteer Automotive | | | | | Buena Vista, MI | | | | | United Auto Workers | | | | | Local 699 | | | | | (Private Industry)..............................| 336330 | 12/08/15 | 12/08/15 | 3,200 | 3,200 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 stopages 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. 4 Royal Dutch Shell Oil initially represented other organizations involved in the work stoppage including Exxon Mobil, BP PLC, Chevron, LyondellBassell, Marathon Oil Corporation, Motiva Enterprises, and Tesoro Oil Corporation. 5 Work stoppage exceeded 1,000 workers on 7 separate days from April 22nd, 2015 through June 3rd, 2015. The work stoppage involved various locations statewide for one day each. The number of workers and days idle have been combined.