For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 8, 2011 USDL-11-0153 

Technical information: (202) 691-6199 • Workstoppagesinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/wsp 

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

MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2010

In 2010, there were 11 major strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at least 

one shift, the second lowest annual total since the major work stoppages series began in 1947, the U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The series low for major work stoppages beginning in a 

calendar year was 5 in 2009. The 11 major work stoppages in 2010 idled 45,000 workers for 302,000 

lost workdays, a large increase compared to 2009 record lows, with 5 stoppages idling 13,000 workers 

for 124,000 lost workdays. 

Average annual major work stoppages have continued to decline by decade. From 2001-2010, there 

were approximately 17 major work stoppages on average per year, compared with 34 per year from 

1991-2000, 69 from 1981-1990, and 269 from 1971-1980. (See chart 1.) Total days idle from major 

work stoppages from 2001-2010 have also declined over 90 percent from 1971-1980. (See chart 2.) 

The longest work stoppage beginning in 2010 was between Temple University Hospital and the

Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, lasting 21 workdays with 1,500 

workers accounting for 31,500 lost workdays. The largest work stoppage in 2010 in terms of number of 

workers and total workdays idle was the Chicago area construction strike between the Mid-America 

Regional Bargaining Association and the Laborers International Union of North America District 

Council of Chicago, International Union of Operating Engineers, and Chicago Regional Council of 

Carpenters, with 15,000 workers accounting for 180,000 lost workdays. (See table 2.) 

Chart 2. Total days idle from major work stoppages, 

1971-2010, by decade, in millions 

Chart 1. Average annual major work stoppages, 1971-

2010, by decade 
- 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 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 major 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 working days lost 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 

http://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 (http://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. 
- 3 - 

Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2010

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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

See footnotes at end of table.
- 4 - 

Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2010 — Continued

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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. 
- 5 - 

Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2010

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle

Temple University Hospital

 Philadelphia, PA,

 Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses &

 Allied Professionals

 State Government ...................................... 622110 3/31/10 4/28/10 1,500 31,500

North Penn School District

 Montgomery County, PA,

 North Penn Education Association

 Local Government ...................................... 611110 4/19/10 4/26/10 1,100 6,600

Capistrano Unified School District

 San Juan Capistrano area, CA,

 Capistrano Unified Educators Association

 Local Government ...................................... 611110 4/22/10 4/26/10 1,800 5,400

Oakland Unified School District

 Oakland, CA,

 Oakland Education Association

 Local Government ...................................... 611110 4/29/10 4/29/10 2,500 2,500

The Boeing Company

 Long Beach, CA,

 United Auto Workers

 Local 148

 Private Industry ........................................... 336411 5/11/10 6/04/10 1,700 30,600

Allina Health System/United Hospital,

 Children’s Hospitals and Clinics,

 Fairview Health Services,

 HealthEast Care System,

 Mercy Hospital,

 North Memorial Hospital,

 Park Nicollete Methodist Hospital,

 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN,

 Minnesota Nurses Association

 Private Industry ........................................... 622110 6/10/10 6/10/10 12,000 12,000

Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning

 Contractors Association of Milwaukee

 Milwaukee, WI,

 Sheet Metal Workers’

 International Association

 Local 18

 Private Industry ........................................... 238220 6/14/10 6/25/10 1,800 18,000

Mid-America Regional Bargaining

 Association

 Chicago area, IL,

 Laborers International Union

 of North America

 District Council of Chicago,

 International Union of

 Operating Engineers,

 Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

 Private Industry ........................................... 237310 7/01/10 7/19/10 15,000 180,000

New York Shipping Association/New Jersey,

 New York City area, NJ, NY,

 International Longshoremen’s Association

 Private Industry ........................................... 488310 9/28/10 9/29/10 4,500 9,000

See footnotes at end of table.
- 6 - 

Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2010 — Continued

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle

Hilton Hotels Hawaiian Village

 Beach Resort & Spa

 Honolulu, HI,

 UNITE HERE Local 5

 Private Industry ........................................... 721110 10/14/10 10/18/10 1,500 4,500

HCA Corporation, Riverside Community

 Hospital and West Hills

 Hospital and Medical Center

 Riverside and West Hills, CA,

 Service Employees International Union

 Local 121RN

 Private Industry ........................................... 622110 12/23/10 12/28/10 1,100 2,200

1 Industry code is from the 2007 NAICS (North American Industry Classification System). 2 The number of workers involved is rounded to the nearest 100.