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.