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 and chart 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.) 

Chart 2. Number of workers idled (in thousands)

by industry, 2017 

Chart 1. Number of workers idled (in thousands), 

2008-17 

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

0

2.5

5

7.5

10

12.5

15

17.5

Information Public

administration

Educational

services

Retail trade
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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

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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

See footnotes at end of table.

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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2017 — Continued

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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. 

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Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2017

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle3

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.

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