For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 10, 2010 USDL-10-0170 

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

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

MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2009 

In 2009, there were five major strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers, the lowest number 

since the major work stoppages series began in 1947, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. 

The prior low for major work stoppages beginning in a calendar year was 14 in 2003. The five major 

work stoppages in 2009 idled 13,000 workers for 124,000 lost workdays, both record lows, and a large 

decrease compared to 2008 with 15 stoppages idling 72,000 workers for 1.95 million lost workdays. 

Since 2007, the number of major work stoppages and the number of employees involved in major work 

stoppages have fallen sharply. (See charts 1 and 2.) Average annual major work stoppages have 

continued to decline. From 2000-2009, there were approximately 20 major work stoppages on average 

per year, compared with 35 per year from 1990-1999 and 83 from 1980-1989. (See table 1.) 

The largest work stoppage in 2009 in terms of number of days and total workdays idle was between Bell 

Helicopter Textron and the United Auto Workers Local 218, lasting 27 workdays with 2,500 workers 

accounting for 67,500 lost workdays. The largest work stoppage beginning in 2009 in terms of number 

of workers was between the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the Transport 

Workers Union Local 234 with 5,500 workers involved in the work stoppage. (See table 2.) 

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 shift. 

Chart 2. Number of Employees Involved in Major Work 

Stoppages, 2001-2009 

 Chart 1. Number of Major Work Stoppages, 2001-2009 
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TECHNICAL NOTE 

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 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 National Compensation Survey compiles detailed monthly and time series 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. 
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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2009

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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

1960 ............................................................ 222 896 13,260 .09

See footnotes at end of table.
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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2009 — Continued

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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 2009

Organizations involved,

 location, and industry type

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle

Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated

 Fort Worth, TX,

 United Auto Workers

 Local 218

 Private Industry ........................................... 336411 6/15/09 7/22/09 2,500 67,500

Interior Demolition Contractors Association

 New York, NY,

 Laborers International Union of

 North America Local 79,

 Mason Tenders District Council

 Private Industry ........................................... 238910 7/01/09 7/07/09 1,500 6,000

Kent Public School District

 Kent, WA,

 Kent Education Association

 Local Government ...................................... 611110 8/27/09 9/13/09 1,900 20,900

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation

Authority

 Philadelphia, PA,

 Transport Workers Union

 Local 234

 Local Government ...................................... 485111 11/03/09 11/09/09 5,500 27,500

University of Illinois

 Champaign-Urbana, IL,

 American Federation of Teachers, 

 Graduate Employees Organization

 Local 6300

 State Government ...................................... 611310 11/16/09 11/17/09 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.