For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 11, 2015 USDL-15-0211 

Technical information: (202) 691-6275 • workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/wsp

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • pressoffice@bls.gov

MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2014

In 2014, there were 11 major work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at least one 

shift, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The 11 major work stoppages beginning in 

2014 were down from the 15 major work stoppages beginning in 2013, and equaled the second lowest 

annual total (11 in 2010) of work stoppages since the series began in 1947. The lowest annual total was 

5 in 2009. (See chart 1 and table 1.) 

Major work stoppages beginning in 2014 idled 34,000 workers, lower than the 2013 total of 55,000 

idled workers. In 2014, there were 200,000 days idle from major work stoppages in effect, also lower 

than 2013 with 290,000 days idle. In 2014, private industry organizations accounted for 9 of the 11 

major work stoppages in 2014. In addition, 7 of the 11 major work stoppages beginning in 2014 

occurred in the health care and social assistance industry and the educational services industry. (See 

table 2.) 

In 2014, the largest major work stoppage in both days idle and duration was between FairPoint 

Communications and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locals 2320, 2326, and 2327 

and the Communications Workers of America Local 1400, with 1,700 workers accounting for 86,700 

days idle in 2014. The work stoppage was still ongoing at the end of 2014. (See table 2.)

Between 2009 and 2014, there have been 80 major work stoppages (average of 13.3 major work 

stoppages per year). Three industry groups combined for over 60 percent of all major work stoppages 

during the six year period: health care and social assistance (34 percent), educational services (15 

percent), and construction (13 percent). (See chart 2.) Manufacturing had 11 percent of all major work 

stoppages between 2009 and 2014. 

Chart 2. Percent of major work stoppages by selected 

industry group, 2009-2014

Chart 1. Annual major work stoppages, 2009-2014
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 its statistics.

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. 

Detailed data for each major work stoppage since 1993 includes the organization involved, location, 

beginning and ending work stoppage dates, the number of workers, and days idle. 

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

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. 

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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2014

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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

See footnotes at end of table.

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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2014 — Continued

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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. 

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Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2014

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle3

University of Illinois at Chicago

 Chicago, IL

 UIC United Faculty

 Local 6456

 (State Government) ................................................................ 611310 2/18/14 2/19/14 1,100 2,200

Johns Hopkins Hospital

 Baltimore, MD

 Service Employees International Union

 United Healthcare Workers East

 Local 1199

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 4/09/14 4/11/14 2,000 6,000

Army Fleet Support, LLC

 Fort Rucker, AL

 International Association of Machinists

 Lodge 2003

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 488190 4/28/14 5/4/14 3,000 15,000

Queen of the Valley Medical Center,

 Sutter Tracy Community Hospital,

 Watsonville Community Hospital

 Central CA

 California Nurses Association, National Nurses United

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 8/14/14 8/15/14 1,000 1,000

Zodiac Seats US

 Gainesville, TX

 United Brotherhood of Teamsters

 Local 767

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 336360 9/23/14 10/25/14 1,300 29,900

Waukegan School District 60

 Waukegan, IL

 Lake County Federation of Teachers

 Local 504

 (Local Government) ................................................................ 611110 10/2/14 10/30/14 1,200 24,000

FairPoint Communications

 ME,NH,VT

 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

 Locals 2320, 2326, and 2327

 Communications Workers of America

 Local 1400

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 517110 10/17/14 ongoing 1,700 86,700

Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Sutter Hospitals

 Northern and Central CA,

 Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C.

 California Nurses Association, National Nurses United4

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 11/11/14 11/12/14 19,000 19,000

St. Joseph Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital

 Takoma, WA, Lakewood, WA

 Service Employees International Union

 Local 1199NW

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 11/18/14 11/19/14 1,100 1,100

SFO Airport Restaurant Employer Council

 San Francisco International Airport, CA

 UNITE HERE Local 2

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 722510 12/11/14 12/12/14 1,000 2,000

See footnotes at end of table.

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Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2014 — Continued

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle3

MedStar Washington Hospital Center

 Washington, D.C.

 National Nurses United

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 12/22/14 12/31/14 1,900 13,300

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 is measured by multiplying the cumulative number of lost workdays by the number of workers involved in the work stoppage. 4 Counted as a one day strike due to Federal holiday on 11/11/2014.

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