Information: (202) 606-6282 USDL 97-44 Media Contact: (202) 606-5902 For Release: 10:00 A.M., EST Internet Address: http//stats.bls.gov Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997 MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES, 1996 The number of major work stoppages rose in 1996, after dropping to a record low in 1995, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The number of workers idled by stoppages also increased. Both of these work stoppage measures still were low by historical standards. The days of idleness resulting from major work stoppages declined over the year. Thirty-seven major work stoppages began during 1996, idling 273,000 workers and resulting in about 4.9 million days of idleness (about 2 out of every 10,000 available work days). Comparable figures for 1995 were 31 stoppages, 192,000 workers idled, and 5.8 million days of idleness. (See table 1 and charts 1-3.) The series, which dates back to 1947, covers strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 workers or more and lasting at least one shift. Of the 37 major work stoppages beginning in 1996, 31 were in the private sector, including 15 in manufacturing and three each in construction and health services. In the public sector, the six disputes involved local government employees in education, mainly teachers. Industries with the most days of idleness during the year due to work stoppages were transportation equipment manufacturing (2.1 million days), real estate services (630,000 days), printing and publishing (630,000 days), food stores (391,000 days), and primary metals manufacturing (298,000 days). The 1996 stoppage involving the most workers was between General Motors Corp. and 136,000 employees represented by the United Automobile Workers, some of whom were out 18 days. The only other large stoppage involved the Commercial Building Realty Advisory Board and the Service Employees International Union (30,000 workers out 31 days). (See table 2.) About one-half of the year's work stoppage idleness--2.5 million days- stemmed from three disputes. The first two were the previously mentioned General Motors-Automobile Workers dispute and the Commercial Building Realty Advisory Board-Service Employees stoppage. The third involved about 2,500 workers represented by various unions at the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News. This work stoppage began in 1995 and continued into 1997, making it the longest stoppage in effect during 1996. The longest stoppage beginning in the year was at Trailmobile, where 1,100 workers represented by the United Paperworkers were out for 165 days. Another long stoppage beginning in the year was at Pemco Aeroplex, where some 1,100 workers represented by the Automobile Workers were idle for 163 days; this stoppage continued into 1997. The term "major work stoppage" includes worker-initiated strikes, as well as lockouts of workers by their employers, involving 1,000 workers or more. The Bureau does not attempt to distinguish between strikes and lockouts in its statistics. Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 workers or more, 1947-96 __________________________________________________________________________ | | | Stoppages 1/ | Days idle 1/ ___________________|_________________________ | | | | Year | | Workers | | Percent of |Number | involved | Number | estimated | |(thousands)|(thousands)| working | | | | time 2/ __________________________________________________________________________ | | | | 1947 ......................| 270 | 1,629 | 25,720 | (3) 1948 ......................| 245 | 1,435 | 26,127 | 0.22 1949 ......................| 262 | 2,537 | 43,420 | .38 | | | | 1950 ......................| 424 | 1,698 | 30,390 | .26 1951 ......................| 415 | 1,462 | 15,070 | .12 1952 ......................| 470 | 2,746 | 48,820 | .38 1953 ......................| 437 | 1,623 | 18,130 | .14 1954 ......................| 265 | 1,075 | 16,630 | .13 | | | | 1955 ......................| 363 | 2,055 | 21,180 | .16 1956 ......................| 287 | 1,370 | 26,840 | .20 1957 ......................| 279 | 887 | 10,340 | .07 1958 ......................| 332 | 1,587 | 17,900 | .13 1959 ......................| 245 | 1,381 | 60,850 | .43 | | | | 1960 ......................| 222 | 896 | 13,260 | .09 1961 ......................| 195 | 1,031 | 10,140 | .07 1962 ......................| 211 | 793 | 11,760 | .08 1963 ......................| 181 | 512 | 10,020 | .07 1964 ......................| 246 | 1,183 | 16,220 | .11 | | | | 1965 ......................| 268 | 999 | 15,140 | .10 1966 ......................| 321 | 1,300 | 16,000 | .10 1967 ......................| 381 | 2,192 | 31,320 | .18 1968 ......................| 392 | 1,855 | 35,367 | .20 1969 ......................| 412 | 1,576 | 29,397 | .16 | | | | 1970 ......................| 381 | 2,468 | 52,761 | .29 1971 ......................| 298 | 2,516 | 35,538 | .19 1972 ......................| 250 | 975 | 16,764 | .09 1973 ......................| 317 | 1,400 | 16,260 | .08 1974 ......................| 424 | 1,796 | 31,809 | .16 | | | | 1975 ......................| 235 | 965 | 17,563 | .09 1976 ......................| 231 | 1,519 | 23,962 | .12 1977 ......................| 298 | 1,212 | 21,258 | .10 1978 ......................| 219 | 1,006 | 23,774 | .11 1979 ......................| 235 | 1,021 | 20,409 | .09 | | | | 1980 ......................| 187 | 795 | 20,844 | .09 1981 ......................| 145 | 729 | 16,908 | .07 1982 ......................| 96 | 656 | 9,061 | .04 1983 ......................| 81 | 909 | 17,461 | .08 1984 ......................| 62 | 376 | 8,499 | .04 | | | | 1985 ......................| 54 | 324 | 7,079 | .03 1986 ......................| 69 | 533 | 11,861 | .05 1987 ......................| 46 | 174 | 4,481 | .02 1988 ......................| 40 | 118 | 4,381 | .02 1989 ......................| 51 | 452 | 16,996 | .07 | | | | 1990 ......................| 44 | 185 | 5,926 | .02 1991 ......................| 40 | 392 | 4,584 | .02 1992 ......................| 35 | 364 | 3,989 | .01 1993 ......................| 35 | 182 | 3,981 | .01 1994 ......................| 45 | 322 | 5,020 | .02 | | | | 1995 ......................| 31 | 192 | 5,771 | .02 1996 ......................| 37 | 273 | 4,887 | .02 __________________________________________________________________________ 1/ The number of stoppages and 2/ Total working time is workers relate to stoppages that for all employees, except began in the year. Days of those in private households, idleness include all stoppages in forestry, and fisheries. effect. Workers are counted more 3/ Not available. than once if they are involved in more than one stoppage during the year. Table 2. Work stoppages involving 5,000 workers or more beginning in 1996 | | | Workers | Estimated days Employer, location, and union | Began | Ended | involved1 | idle in 19961 | | | | Commercial Building Realty | 1/4/96 | 2/4/96 | 30,000 | 630,000 Advisory Board | | | | New York, NY | | | | Service Employees (SEIU) | | | | | | | | San Diego public schools | 2/1/96 | 2/8/96 | 5,000 | 30,000 San Diego, CA | | | | San Diego Education | | | | Association (Ind.) | | | | | | | | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. | 2/14/96 | 2/15/96 | 7,600 | 14,200 Pascagoula, MS | | | | Metal Trades Council (MTC) | | | | | | | | General Motors Corp. | 3/5/96 | 3/22/96 | 136,0002 | 1,260,000 Dayton, OH | | | | Automobile Workers (UAW) | | | | | | | | Retail grocery chains--Safeway | 5/14/96 | 6/26/96 | 12,000 | 372,000 and King Sooper | | | | Denver, CO, area | | | | Food and Commercial Workers(UFCW) | | | | | | | | Northern Illinois Mason | 6/1/96 | 6/12/96 | 6,500 | 52,000 Employers Association | | | | Chicago, IL | | | | Bricklayers (BAC) | | | | | | | | McDonnell Douglas Aerospace | 6/5/96 | 9/16/96 | 6,700 | 482,400 St. Louis, MO | | | | Machinists (IAM) | | | | | | | | League of Voluntary Hospitals | 6/24/96 | 8/28/96 | 5,800 | 272,600 New York, NY | | | | Service Employees (SEIU) | | | | | | | | General Motors Corp. | 10/30/96 | 11/6/96 | 5,100 | 30,600 Janesville, WI | | | | Automobile Workers (UAW) | | | | | | | | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Workers and days idle are rounded to the nearest 100. 2 Includes workers idled because of material shortages.