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Career & Finance Fridays
Going On Strike
Have you ever worked at a job and gone on strike? I have never been on the employee side of a strike, but I have worked on the employer side of a strike when I used to work in Human Resources.
It’s a very complex time, and what gets sad is that both sides lose the ability to work together and come to a mutual agreement. The trouble with getting to a strike is that communication and respect have already been lost and so then it just becomes a battle for who will lose the most.
It stops being about finding a solution and starts being about leverage. During those weeks in HR, I saw firsthand the personal toll it took on everyone involved. For the employees, it meant missed paychecks and uncertainty, often leading to deep anxiety about their families' futures. For the employer, it meant stalled production, lost revenue, and a fractured reputation. It's an exhausting, draining process that rarely leaves anyone feeling like a 'winner.'
Even after an agreement is finally reached and the pickets come down, the culture of the workplace is fundamentally altered. It takes a long time to rebuild the trust that was broken during the standoff. The resentment can linger for long periods of time.
I’ve also been the spouse of someone who is on strike so I understand the toll it takes on the employees and their families. It truly isn’t fun for anyone.
Employment relationships are complex and sometimes it feels like the only way through it is a strike. However, a strike does not generally provide the outcome you are hoping for.
Interesting Fact #1
From sanitation workers in Philadelphia to Boeing machinists in Missouri to nurses in California, thousands of workers across the country went on strike last year to demand higher pay, better benefits, and safer working conditions. New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that 306,800 workers were involved in 30 major work stoppages in 2025, a 13% increase from 2024.
Interesting Fact #2
Most major work stoppages in 2025 (17) took place in the public sector. Six involved workers at public colleges and universities, including a five-day strike involving 1,400 custodial, maintenance, and services workers at the University of Minnesota where the Teamsters secured higher wage increases and other concessions.
Interesting Fact #3
Thirteen major work stoppages took place in the private sector. Seven involved health care workers, including a historic 46-day strike involving 5,000 nurses at Providence Hospitals where the Oregon Nurses Association secured substantial wage increases, better staffing plans for patient care, and guaranteed pay for missed breaks or meals. Manufacturing and retail trade had two major work stoppages each.
Quote of the day
“We were crushed’ said Judith; ‘for lack of resolution more than lack of numbers. A strike is nothing if a worker may pledge herself to it today and return to the factory tomorrow. So we gather here; tonight, to unite and entwine our fate.” ― C.S. Malerich
Article of the day - How common are labor strikes in the US?
Thirty-one major work stoppages occurred in 2024, resulting in 3.4 million days of idleness involving 271,500 workers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a major work stoppage as: a strike or a lockout that involves at least 1,000 workers and lasts one full shift at the establishment where the stoppage initiated.
How common are work stoppages?
There have been an average of 18.3 major work stoppages per year in the last decade, down from an annual average of 289 in the 1970s.
Work stoppages have declined 92% since their peak in 1974.
Work stoppages per year, 1970–2024
A line graph illustrating union related work stoppages from 1970 to 2024. Work stoppages declined from the late 1970s to the 1990s to their current low rates.
19701975198019851990199520002005201020152020050100150200250300350400198669198669
Categorizes work stoppages based on the year they began. Includes all work stoppages where 1,000 or more workers stopped work for at least one shift.
Source: Bureau of Labor StatisticsGet the dataDownload imageDownload SVG
The number of workers involved in work stoppages has fallen in recent years as well. In 2024, a total of 271,500 employees were involved in work stoppages. That’s down 66% from 795,000 in 1980, and down 89% from the nearly 2.5 million employees in stoppages in 1970.
The number of employees involved in work stoppages has declined 41% since last year.
Workers involved in work stoppages, 1970–2024
A line chart showing the number of workers involved in major work stoppages, from 1970 to 2024. The number of employees involved in work stoppages has declined 41% since last year.
197019751980198519901995200020052010201520200500K1M1.5M2M2.5M1987174.4K1987174.4K
Categorizes workers based on the year work stoppages began. Includes all work stoppages where 1,000 or more workers stopped work for at least one shift.
Source: Bureau of Labor StatisticsGet the dataEmbed Download imageDownload SVG
In February 2026, the layoff rate was highest in the information industry.
How many workers are union members?
The decline in work stoppages comes as the number and proportion of union workers has fallen since the 1980s. In 1983, there were 17.7 million such workers, about 20% of employees. There were 14.3 million such workers in 2024, representing 10% of employees.
Union membership rebounded in 2008, but has declined ever since.
Total employees with union membership, 1983–2024
Percentage Total members
A line chart showing total employees with union membership, from 1983 to 2024.
1985199019952000200520102015202013M13.5M14M14.5M15M15.5M16M16.5M17M17.5M18M201114.8M201114.8M
Source: Bureau of Labor StatisticsGet the dataEmbed Download imageDownload SVG
Where does this data come from?
This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics work stoppage database. The agency notes that the data is “gathered from public news sources, such as newspapers and the Internet.” The data does not distinguish between strikes, which are usually initiated by workers, and lock-outs, which are typically initiated by management.
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Question of the day - What do you think is the best way for organizations to prevent labor disputes before they escalate to a strike?
Employment & Career
What do you think is the best way for organizations to prevent labor disputes before they escalate to a strike?
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