Commentary
Decline of Strikes
As the following table suggests, the number of strikes in the U.S. has declined significantly since the 1960s and 1970s. (the table includes both strikes and lockouts; however, as lockouts of 1,000 or more workers are very rare, the overwhelming majority of work stoppages cited are strikes.)
While unions traditionally have only used the strike weapon when all other avenues for breaking a deadlock have failed, over the last thirty years unions have been even more reluctant to strike. This is in part a result of an increasing number of employers deciding to continue to operate their businesses during a work stoppage.
Work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers, 1947-2007
| Period | Number of work stoppages beginning in period |
Numbers of workers involved |
Number of days idle |
|---|---|---|---|
2007 |
21 |
189,000 |
1,265,000 |
2006 |
20 |
70,000 |
2,688,000 |
2005 |
22 |
100,000 |
1,736,000 |
2004 |
17 |
171,000 |
3,344,000 |
2003 |
14 |
129,000 |
4,091,000 |
2002 |
19 |
46,000 |
660,000 |
2001 |
29 |
99,000 |
1,151,000 |
2000 |
39 |
394,000 |
20,419,000 |
1999 |
14 |
73,000 |
1,996,000 |
1998 |
34 |
387,000 |
5,116,000 |
1997 |
29 |
339,000 |
4,497,000 |
1996 |
37 |
273,000 |
4,889,000 |
1995 |
31 |
192,000 |
5,771,000 |
1994 |
45 |
322,000 |
5,021,000 |
1993 |
35 |
182,000 |
3,981,000 |
1992 |
35 |
364,000 |
3,989,000 |
1991 |
40 |
392,000 |
4,584,000 |
1990 |
44 |
185,000 |
5,926,000 |
1989 |
51 |
452,000 |
16,996,000 |
1988 |
40 |
118,000 |
4,381,000 |
1987 |
46 |
174,000 |
4,481,000 |
1986 |
69 |
533,000 |
11,861,000 |
1985 |
54 |
324,000 |
7,079,000 |
1984 |
62 |
376,000 |
8,499,000 |
1983 |
81 |
909,000 |
17,461,000 |
1982 |
96 |
656,000 |
9,061,000 |
1981 |
145 |
729,000 |
16,908,000 |
1980 |
187 |
795,000 |
20,844,000 |
1979 |
235 |
965,000 |
17,563,000 |
1978 |
219 |
1,006,000 |
23,774,000 |
1977 |
298 |
1,212,000 |
21,258,000 |
1976 |
231 |
1,519,000 |
23,962,000 |
1975 |
235 |
965,000 |
17,563,000 |
1974 |
424 |
1,796,000 |
31,809,000 |
1973 |
317 |
1,400,000 |
16,260,000 |
1972 |
250 |
975,000 |
16,764,000 |
1971 |
298 |
2,516,000 |
35,538,000 |
1970 |
831 |
2,468,000 |
52,761,000 |
1969 |
412 |
1,576,000 |
29,397,000 |
1968 |
382 |
1,855,000 |
35,367,000 |
1967 |
381 |
2,192,000 |
31,320,000 |
1966 |
321 |
1,300,000 |
16,000,000 |
1965 |
268 |
999,000 |
15,140,000 |
1964 |
246 |
1,183,000 |
16,220,000 |
1963 |
181 |
512,000 |
10,020,000 |
1962 |
211 |
793,000 |
11,760,000 |
1961 |
195 |
1,031,000 |
10,140,000 |
1960 |
222 |
896,000 |
13,260,000 |
1959 |
245 |
1,381,000 |
60,850,000 |
1958 |
332 |
1,587,000 |
17,900,000 |
1957 |
279 |
887,000 |
10,340,000 |
1956 |
287 |
1,370 |
26,840,000 |
1955 |
363 |
2,055,000 |
21,180,000 |
1954 |
265 |
1,075,000 |
16,630,000 |
1953 |
437 |
1,623,000 |
18,630,000 |
1952 |
470 |
2,746,000 |
48,820,000 |
1950 |
424 |
1,968,000 |
30,390,000 |
1949 |
262 |
2,537,000 |
43,420,000 |
1948 |
245 |
1,435,000 |
26,127,000 |
1947 |
270 |
1,629,000 |
25,720,000 |
Adapted from: The Bureau of Labor Statistics. (February 13, 2008). Major Work Stoppages in 2007 (page 3-4). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Labor. Retrieved on May 14, 2008 from: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkstp.pdf.
As the value of strikes as a bargaining tool has declined, their relative cost to unions and their members has increased. When unions are on strike, members lose income. With more members carrying significant debt (mortgages, car loans, etc.), unions sometimes have troubling generating support for a strike. Also, unions recognize that strikes risk alienating the public, particularly if they continue for a long period and inconvenience people (by making a product or service unavailable). And in a worst case scenario, strikers can be permanently replaced.