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                  MAJOR WORK STOPPAGES IN 2003

     The number of workers idled, the number of days of idleness,
and the percent of estimated working time lost because of strikes
and lockouts rose in 2003, but were still low by historical
standards, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported.  Fourteen major work stoppages began during
the year, idling 129,200 workers and resulting in 4.1 million
workdays of idleness (about 1 out of every 10,000 available
workdays).  Comparable figures for 2002 were 19 stoppages, 46,000
workers idled, and 660,000 days of idleness.  (See table 1 and
charts A-C.)  The major work stoppages series, which dates back
to 1947, covers strikes and lockouts involving 1,000 workers or
more and lasting at least one shift.  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.

     Of the major work stoppages beginning in 2003, 12 were in
private industry and two were in state and local government.  In
private industry, the largest number of stoppages occurred in the
manufacturing sector (three) and in the retail trade sector
(three).  In state and local government, one stoppage was in the
transportation and warehousing sector and one was in public
administration.

     Five work stoppages beginning in 2003 accounted for 82
percent of all workers idled.  The largest was between
Albertsons, Ralphs Grocery Company, and Vons and the United Food
and Commercial Workers (UFCW), with 67,300 workers idled.  The
second largest was a stoppage between General Electric Company
and the Communications Workers (IUE-CWA) and the United
Electrical Workers (UE-Ind.) that idled 17,500 workers.  The
third was a stoppage between Dierbergs Markets, Schnucks, and
Shop `n Save and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
that idled 10,200.  The two work stoppages in state and local
government were the next largest.  A work stoppage between the
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the
United Transportation Union (UTU-Ind.) idled 6,200 workers while
a work stoppage between The County of San Joaquin and the Service
Employees (SEIU) idled 5,000 workers.  (See table 2.)

     Industry sectors with the most days of idleness during the
year due to work stoppages were retail trade (3,689,000 days),
transportation and warehousing (178,700 days), and manufacturing
(82,800 days).

     Nine-tenths of the year's days of idleness stemmed from
three major disputes, including the disputes between Albertsons,
Ralphs Grocery Company, and Vons and the United Food and
Commercial Workers (UFCW) (3,374,200 days), between Dierbergs
Markets, Schnucks, and Shop `n Save and the United Food and
Commercial Workers (UFCW) (183,600 days), and between the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the
United Transportation Union (UTU-Ind.) (148,800 days).

     The average length of work stoppages beginning in 2003 was
22 days, and 71 percent of all work stoppages lasted 30 days or
less.  The longest work stoppage was the dispute between
Albertsons, Ralphs Grocery Company, and Vons and the United Food
and Commercial Workers (UFCW) that began on October 13 and was
still in effect on December 31.  It also was the only dispute in
2003 that lasted more than 50 days (See Table A.)


   Table A.  Duration of work stoppages beginning in 2002 and 2003
Duration           2002                2003
              Number   Percent    Number   Percent
1-2 days        2        11         1         7
3-10 days       4        21         6        43
11-20 days      5        26         1         7
21-30 days      3        16         2        14
31-40 days      1         5         2        14
41-50 days      3        16         1         7
Over 50 days    1         5         1         7

  Note:  Percent totals may not add to 100 because of rounding.


     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 strikes
and lockouts in its statistics.

     Information on work stoppages is obtained from reports from
the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and state labor
market information offices and from media sources such as The
Daily Labor Report and the Wall Street Journal.  One or both of
the parties involved in the work stoppage (employer, union, etc.)
is then contacted to verify the duration of and the number of
workers idled by the stoppage.



Table 1.  Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2003

                                                    Days idle(2)

                       Number of   Number of
                       stoppages    workers
       Period          beginning  involved(1)              Percent of
                       in period  (thousands)    Number    estimated
                                              (thousands)   working
                                                            time(3)

1947.................     270         1,629      25,720       (4)
1948.................     245         1,435      26,127        .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       5,021        .02

1995.................      31           192       5,771        .02
1996.................      37           273       4,889        .02
1997.................      29           339       4,497        .01
1998.................      34           387       5,116        .02
1999.................      17            73       1,996        .01
2000.................      39           394      20,419        .06
2001.................      29            99       1,151       (5)
2002.................      19            46         660       (5)

2003.................      14          129.2     4,091.2      0.01
         January.....       1           17.5        48.8      (5)
         February....       0              0           0      0.00
         March.......       2            4.0        18.5      (5)
         April.......       1            4.0        40.0      (5)
         May.........       1            1.3         7.8      (5)
         June........       1            4.0        16.0      (5)
         July........       0              0        12.0      (5)
         August......       3            8.2        35.9      (5)
         September...       0              0        51.3      (5)
         October.....       5           82.2     1,168.5      0.04
         November....       0          8.0(6)    1,219.0      0.05
         December....       0              0     1,473.4      0.05

  1  Workers are counted more than once if they are involved in more
than one stoppage during the reference period.
  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 Agricultural and government employees are included in the
calculation of estimated working time; private households, forestry,
and fishery employees are excluded.
  4 Data not available.
  5 Less than .005.
  6 Reflects an increase in the number of workers idled by a work
stoppage in effect.

NOTE:  Dash indicates no data for this category.



Table 2.  Work stoppages involving 5,000 or more workers beginning in 2003


                                            Industry   Beginning     Ending    Number of
         Organizations involved             code(2)       date        date     workers(3)   Days idle
             and location(1)


General Electric Company
   Communication Workers (IUE-CWA);
   United Electrical Workers (UE-Ind.)...    334612    1/14/03     1/15/03       17,500       35,000

The County of San Joaquin
   Stockton, CA
   Service Employees (SEIU)..............    921190    8/04/03     8/08/03        5,000       25,000

Dierbergs Markets, Schnucks, and
Shop 'n Save
   St. Louis, MO
   United Food and Commercial Workers
   (UFCW)................................    445110   10/07/03    10/31/03       10,200      183,600

Albertsons, Ralphs Grocery Company,
and Vons
   Southern CA
   United Food and Commercial Workers
   (UFCW)................................    445110   10/12/03        (4)       67,300(5)  3,374,200

Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
   Los Angeles, CA
   United Transportation Union
   (UTU-Ind.)............................    485111   10/14/03    11/17/03        6,200      148,800

  1 Labor organizations are affiliated with the AFL-CIO except where noted as Independent (Ind.).
  2 Industry code is from the 2002 NAICS (North American Industry Classification System).
  3 The number of workers involved is rounded to the nearest 100.
  4 As of December 31, 2003 the work stoppage is still ongoing.
  5 The number of workers idled was 59,300; on November 24, 2003 it increased to 67,300 an on December 23, 2003
it decreased to 61,300.