Information: USDL 08-0202
(202) 691-6275 WorkStoppagesInfo@bls.gov
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Internet Address:
http://www.bls.gov/wsp
MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2007
Major work stoppages idled 189,000 workers for 1.3 million workdays in 2007, the
U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In 2007, the largest
major work stoppage in total days idle was between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers and the Writers Guild of America East and West, with 10,500 workers accounting for
409,500 lost workdays. The largest work stoppage in number of workers was between General
Motors Corporation and the United Auto Workers, with 74,000 General Motors workers involved in
the two day work stoppage.
There were 21 lockouts and strikes involving 1,000 or more workers in 2007. For 2006, there
were 20 stoppages involving 70,000 workers with 2.7 million workdays of idleness. (See table 1
and charts A-F.) Of the 21 major work stoppages beginning in 2007, 12 were in private industry
and nine were in State and local governments. In private industry, eight work stoppages occurred
in goods-producing industries along with four in service-providing industries. Of the nine work
stoppages in State and local governments, five were in transportation and warehousing and four
were in educational services. In 2007, State and local government work stoppages accounted
for just over one-third of total workers idled, but only 15 percent of lost workdays.
The mean length of a work stoppage in 2007 was 10.5 days, down from 26.5 days in 2006.
Numerous work stoppages in 2007 were short in duration with six work stoppages lasting 2 days or
less. (See table A.)
The major work stoppages series, which dates back to 1947, covers strikes and lockouts
involving 1,000 or more employees and lasting at least one full shift. For work stoppages that
began prior to 2007, only days of idleness in calendar year 2007 are counted.
Table A. Duration of work stoppages beginning in 2007, 2006, and 2005
Duration 2007 2006 2005
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1-2 days 6 29 5 25 4 18
3-10 days 6 29 6 30 8 36
11-30 days 7 33 6 30 6 27
31-50 days 2 10 1 5 1 5
>50 days 0 0 2 10 3 14
Note: Percent totals may not add to 100 because of rounding. The annual numbers represent
the total duration of all work stoppages initiated during each calendar year.
Table B. Number of work stoppages by the number of workers idled in 2007, 2006, and 2005
Number of workers idled 2007 2006 2005
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1,000 to 1,999 8 38 10 50 11 50
2,000 to 2,999 2 10 2 10 5 23
3,000 to 4,999 4 19 3 15 2 9
5,000 to 7,499 3 14 2 10 2 9
7,500 to 9,999 0 0 2 10 0 0
10,000 to 19,999 1 5 1 5 1 5
20,000 or more 3 14 0 0 1 5
Note: Percent totals may not add to 100 because of rounding.
Table C. Number of work stoppages by number of work days idled in 2007, 2006, and 2005
Number of days of idleness 2007 2006 2005
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1,000 to 4,999 2 10 2 10 3 14
5,000 to 9,999 3 14 5 25 4 18
10,000 to 14,999 3 14 2 10 1 5
15,000 to 19,999 3 14 2 10 4 18
20,000 to 29,999 1 5 2 10 2 9
30,000 to 49,999 4 19 2 10 2 9
50,000 to 99,999 1 5 1 5 2 9
100,000 to 299,999 3 14 2 10 2 9
300,000 or more 1 5 2 10 2 9
Note: Percent totals may not add to 100 because of rounding. The annual numbers represent
the number of work days idled of all work stoppages initiated during each calendar year.
The term "major work stoppage" includes both worker-initiated strikes and employer-initiated
lockouts that involve 1,000 workers or more. BLS does not distinguish between lockouts and strikes
in its statistics.
Information on work stoppages is obtained from reports from the Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service, State labor market information offices, BLS Strike Reports from the Office
of Employment and Unemployment Statistics, and from media sources such as the Daily Labor Report
and the Wall Street Journal. 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 taking the number of workers involved in the strike or
lock-out and multiplying it by the number of days workers are off the job.
For detailed monthly and annual work stoppage statistics, please visit http://www.bls.gov/wsp.
Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2007
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)
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 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.
Note: "Number of workers involved" in Table 1 reflects a tabulation of workers involved
in a work stoppage that began in a specific year.
Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2007
Industry Beginning Ending Number of
Organizations involved code(1) date date workers(2) Days idle
and location
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
York, PA,
International Association of
Machinists,
Lodge 175
Private Industry.................. 336900 2/02/07 2/22/07 2,800 39,200
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems,
Ingalls Shipyard
Pascagoula, MS,
Pascagoula Metal Trades Council,
International Brotherhood of
Electrical
Workers Local 733,
Office and Professional Employees
International Union Local 204,
Special Police and Security
Officers
Local 655,
Separate Division of the
Machinists
Private Industry.................. 336611 3/08/07 4/04/07 6,500 130,000
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA,
Faculty and Staff Federation of
CCP
Local 2026
Local Government.................. 611210 3/13/07 3/27/07 1,300 14,300
National Fire Sprinkler Association
Nationwide,
Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669
Private Industry.................. 238220 4/01/07 4/16/07 3,000 33,000
Foundation Coal Holdings
Waynesburg, PA,
United Mine Workers
Private Industry.................. 212112 4/04/07 4/13/07 1,200 9,600
Hayward School District
Hayward, CA,
The Hayward Education Association
Local Government.................. 611110 4/05/07 4/25/07 1,300 19,500
Associated Wall and Ceiling
Contractors of Oregon and Southwest
Washington, Inc.
OR, WA,
Pacific Northwest Regional
Council of Carpenters
Private Industry.................. 236220 6/01/07 6/19/07 1,200 15,600
National Electrical Contractors of
America
Puget Sound, WA,
International Brotherhood of
Electrical
Workers Local 46
Private Industry.................. 238210 6/01/07 6/01/07 2,800 2,800
Orange County Transportation
Authority,
CA,
International Brotherhood of
Teamsters
Local 952
Local Government.................. 485113 7/07/07 7/16/07 1,100 6,600
Harlem Consolidated Schools,
District 122
Machesney Park, IL,
Harlem Federation of Teachers,
Local 540
Local Government.................. 611110 8/21/07 9/01/07 1,000 9,000
University of Minnesota
Duluth, MN,
American Federation of State,
County and
Municipal Employees Local 3801
Local Government.................. 611310 9/05/07 9/21/07 3,100 40,300
Philadelphia Parking Authority
Philadelphia, PA,
Taxi Workers Alliance
Local Government.................. 485310 9/05/07 9/06/07 1,200 1,200
New York City Taxi & Limousine
Commission
New York, NY,
Taxi Workers Alliance
Local Government.................. 485310 9/05/07 9/07/07 26,000 52,000
General Motors Corporation
Nationwide,
United Auto Workers
Private Industry.................. 336111 9/24/07 9/26/07 74,000 148,000
San Francisco Bay Area Security
Officers
CA,
Service Employees International
Union 24/7
Private Industry.................. 561612 9/24/07 9/28/07 4,000 20,000
Sutter Hospitals
CA,
California Nurses Association
Private Industry.................. 622110 10/10/07 10/12/07 5,000 15,000
New York City Taxi & Limousine
Commission
New York, NY,
Taxi Workers Alliance
Local Government.................. 485310 10/22/07 10/23/07 33,000 33,000
International Truck and Engine
Corporation
OH, IN, IL, PA, GA, TX,
United Auto Workers
Private Industry.................. 336120 10/23/07 12/13/07 3,700 133,200
Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers
Nationwide,
Writers Guild of America West,
Writers Guild of America East
Private Industry.................. 512110 11/05/07 ongoing 10,500 409,500
Paratransit Operators Coalition
New York, NY,
Amalgamated Transit Union
Local 1181-1061
Local Government.................. 485991 12/10/07 12/19/07 1,500 12,000
Sutter Hospitals
CA,
California Nurses Association
Private Industry.................. 622110 12/13/07 12/14/07 5,000 10,000
1 Industry code is from the 2002 NAICS (North American Industry Classification System).
2 The number of workers involved is rounded to the nearest 100.
United States Department of Labor
