For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Friday, February 8, 2013 USDL-13-0193 

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

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

MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2012

In 2012, there were 19 major strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 or more workers and lasting at least 

one shift, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The 19 major work stoppages beginning 

in 2012 equaled the total from 2011. Major work stoppages beginning in 2012 idled 148,000 workers, 

higher than 2011 with 113,000 idled workers. In 2012, there were 1.13 million days idle from major 

work stoppages in effect, also higher than 2011 with 1.02 million days idle. (See charts 1 and 2, and 

table 1.) Over 40 percent (8 of 19) of major work stoppages beginning in 2012 occurred in November 

and December. (See table 2.) 

The largest work stoppage beginning in 2012 in terms of number of workers and total days idle was 

between the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, with 26,500 workers accounting 

for 185,500 days idle. The longest work stoppage beginning in 2012 was between Lockheed Martin 

Corporation and the International Association of Machinists, Local 776, with 3,600 workers 

accounting for 172,800 days idle. (See table 2.) The Lockheed Martin Corporation work stoppage 

lasted 48 workdays. 

The major work stoppage between the American Crystal Sugar Company and the Bakery, 

Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers, Sugar Council resulted in a total of 308,100 days 

idle in 2012, and nearly 445,000 cumulative days idle since beginning on August 1, 2011. The number 

of workers involved in the work stoppage fell below 1,000 workers in December 2012 and will no 

longer be counted in major work stoppage estimates. 

Chart 2. Annual days idle from major work 

stoppages, 2005-2012, in millions 

Chart 1. Annual major work stoppages, 2005-2012 
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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 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 

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. 
Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2012

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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

1964 ............................................................ 246 1,183 16,220 .11

1963 ............................................................ 181 512 10,020 .07

See footnotes at end of table.

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Table 1. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2012 — Continued

Period

Number of

work

stoppages

beginning

in

period

Numbers of

workers

involved

(thousands)1

Days idle2

Number

(thousands)

Percent of

estimated

working time3

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 2012

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle

Kaiser Permanente Hospitals

 CA, Statewide

 California Nurses Association

 National Union of Healthcare Workers

 International Union of Operating Engineers

 Local 39 Stationary Engineers

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 1/31/12 1/31/12 21,000 21,000

Riverside County Regional Medical Center

 Riverside, CA

 Service Employees International Union

 Local 721

 (Local Government) ................................................................ 622110 1/31/12 1/31/12 5,600 5,600

Rockford School District 205

 Rockford, IL

 Rockford Education Association

 (Local Government) ................................................................ 611110 3/29/12 3/30/12 1,900 3,800

Lockheed Martin Corporation

 Fort Worth, TX

 International Association of Machinists

 Local 776

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 336411 4/23/12 6/28/12 3,600 172,800

Sutter Health Hospitals

 San Francisco Bay Area, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 5/1/12 5/5/12 4,500 18,000

AT&T, Inc.

 CA and NV

 Communications Workers of America

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 517110 6/8/12 6/8/12 14,000 14,000

Sutter Health Hospitals

 San Francisco Bay Area, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 6/13/12 6/17/12 4,500 13,500

Consolidated Edison

 New York City and Westchester County, NY

 Utility Workers of America Local 1-2

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 221122 7/1/12 7/26/12 8,000 144,000

Sutter Health Hospitals

 Alameda and San Mateo Counties, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 7/3/12 7/7/12 3,700 11,100

AT&T, Inc.

 CA, CT and NV

 Communications Workers of America

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 517110 8/7/12 8/8/12 21,200 42,400

City of Chicago Public School District 299

 Chicago, IL

 Chicago Teachers Union

 (Local Government) ................................................................ 611110 9/10/12 9/18/12 26,500 185,500

See footnotes at end of table.

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Table 2. Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers beginning in 2012 — Continued

Organizations involved,

 location, and sector

Industry

code1

Beginning

date

Ending

date

Number of

workers2 Days idle

Sutter Health Hospitals

 San Francisco Bay Area, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 11/1/12 11/5/12 3,300 9,900

Raley’s, Nob Hill Stores 

 Northern CA and Northern NV

 United Food and Commercial Workers Union

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 445110 11/4/12 11/13/12 7,400 44,400

Hostess Brands

 Nationwide

 Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers

 and Grain Millers International Union

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 311812 11/9/12 11/21/12 5,000 40,000

Sutter Health Hospitals and Hospital Corporation of America

 San Francisco Bay Area, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 11/20/12 11/24/12 5,000 15,000

Pacific Maritime Association

 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, CA

 International Longshore and Warehouse Union

 Local 63A Office Clerical Unit

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 488310 11/27/12 12/4/12 5,500 33,000

Community Unit School District 300

 Carpentersville, IL Area

 Local Education Association of District 300

 (Local Government) ................................................................ 611110 12/4/12 12/4/12 1,300 1,300

Goodman Manufacturing Company

 Fayetteville, TN

 International Association of Machinists

 Local Lodge 2385

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 333415 12/9/12 12/13/12 1,100 4,400

Sutter Health Hospitals and Hospital Corporation of America

 San Francisco Bay Area, CA

 California Nurses Association

 (Private Industry) .................................................................... 622110 12/24/12 12/24/12 5,000 5,000

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. 

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