Throughout the history of labor in the United States, many workers have gone on strike. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the predecessor organizations it cites, have kept track of the number of striking workers per year since 1881.[1][2][3][4][5]

For data from 1881 to 1905 the Commissioner of Labor, then within the Department of Interior conducted four periodic surveys[lower-alpha 1] covering that period. The data is considered likely un-comprehensive but still used the same definition of strikes as later periods. For this era, all strikes with more than six workers or less than one day were excluded.[3]: 2–3, 36  No concrete data was collected for the amount of strikes from 1906 to 1913 federally.[3]: 2-3, (8-9 in pdf) 

Data from 1915 to 1926 is more comprehensive. In 1915, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had formed a more systemized set of data collection. Data on the number of workers involved remained a rough estimate but more consistent.[5]: 195, (203 in pdf)  The data however also included strikes with fewer than six workers involved, likely leading to slightly higher worker estimates.[3]: 36 

Data from 1927 to 1981 is more detailed then the previous periods. In 1927, monthly and yearly strike reports by the department were implemented.[5]: 203  Any strikes with fewer than six workers or lasting less than a day were excluded from data leading to marginally smaller estimates then the previous period.[3]: 36  For strike numbers this change could pose issues, however for total worker estimates it is considered to only have small effects.[3]: 36, (42 in pdf)  Within this period, with the passing of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947, the program was revamped under the work stoppage program, however the criteria remained largely identical.[6]

Data from 1981[lower-alpha 2] to present remains an underestimate of workers striking each year in comparison to all other periods. In February 1982, the BLS had to stop counting strikes with fewer than 1,000 workers, as budget cuts to its Division of Industrial Relations made it infeasible to count them any more.[6]

Year Number of workers on strike by year Strikes
1881[3] 130,176
1882 158,802
1883 170,275
1884 165,175
1885 258,129
1886 610,024
1887 439,306
1888 162,880
1889 260,290
1890 373,499
1891 329,953
1892 238,685
1893 287,756
1894 690,044
1895 407,188
1896 248,838
1897 416,154
1898 263,219
1899 431,889
1900 567,719
1901 563,843
1902 691,507
1903 787,834
1904 573,815
1905[3] 302,434
1906 Not measured
  • United Railroads Strike of 1906 by IBEW1245 in San Francisco
  • 1906 GE sit-down strike (Schenectady, NY)
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914 Unavailable
1915 Unavailable
1916[2] 1,559,917
1917 1,227,254
1918 1,239,989
1919 4,160,348
1920 1,463,054
1921 1,099,247
1922 1,612,562
1923 756,584
1924 654,641
1925 428,416
1926 329,592
1927 329,939
1928 314,210
1929 288,572
1930 182,975
1931 341,817
1932 324,210
1933 1,168,272
1934 1,466,695
1935 1,117,213
1936[2] 788,648
1937[11] 1,860,62
1938[12] 688,000
1939[13] 1,171,000
1940[14] 576,988
1941[15] 2,362,620
1942[16] 840,000
1943[17] 1,981,279
1944[18] 2,116,000
1945[19] 3,467,000
1946[20] 4,600,000
1947[21] 2,170,000
1948[21] 1,960,000
  • 1948 US Meatpacking strike
  • 1948 Caterpillar strike
  • Boeing Strike of 1948
  • Goodyear strike
  • 1948 Miami Garment workers strike
1949 3,030,000
1950 2,410,000
1951 2,220,000
  • 1951 Caterpillar strike
  • 1951 Aliquippa steelworkers strike
1952 3,540,000
1953 2,400,000
1954 1,530,000
1955 2,650,000
1956 1,900,000
1957 1,390,000
  • 1957 Western Electric strike
  • 1957 Long Island strike
1958 2,060,000
1959 1,880,000
1960 1,320,000
1961 1,450,000
1962 1,230,000
1963 941,000
1964 1,640,000
1965 1,550,000
1966 1,960,000
1967 2,870,000
  • 1967 US Railroad strike
  • 1967 US truckers strike
  • November 1967 General Motors strike
  • 1967 Caterpillar strike
  • September 1967 General Motors strike
1968 2,649,000
1969 2,481,000
1970 3,305,000
1971 3,279,600
  • 1971 Longshore strike
  • 1971 Rail strike
  • 1971 Telephone strike
  • 1971 Bituminous coal strike
  • 1971 Northern and Central California construction strikes
  • 1971 International Harvester strike
1972 1,713,600
1973 2,250,700
  • 1973 Chrysler strike
  • 1973 Pennsylvania Central Transportation strike
  • 1973 Caterpillar strike
  • 1973 Chicago teachers strike
  • 1973 Philadelphia teachers strike
  • 1973 Detroit teachers strike
  • 1973 Cleveland teachers strike
1974 2,777,700
1975 1,745,600
1976 2,420,000
1977 2,040,100
1978 1,779,800
1979 1,727,100
1980[21] 1,366,000
1981[4] 728,900
1982 655,800
1983 909,400
1984 376,000
1985 323,900
1986 533,100
1987 174,400
1988 118,300
1989 452,100
1990 184,900
1991 392,000
1992 363,800
1993 181,900
1994 322,200
1995 191,500
1996 272,700
1997 338,600
1998 386,800
1998 72,600
2000 393,700
2001 99,100
2002 45,900
2003 129,200
2004 170,700
2005 99,600
2006 70,100
2007 189,200
2008 72,200
2009 12,500
2010 44,500
2011 112,500
2012 148,100
2013 54,500
2014 34,300
2015 47,300
2016 99,400
2017 25,300
2018 485,200
2019 425,500
2020 27,000
2021 80,700
2022[4] 120,600
2023 471,400 (as of November 2023)[22]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In 1887, 1894, 1901 & 1906
  2. ↑ Historical data for 1981 is unavailable, so has been replaced with the adjusted data for strikes with at least a 1,000 workers.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Dubofsky, Melvyn (1995). "Labor Unrest in the United States, 1906-90". Review (Fernand Braudel Center). 18 (1): 125–135. ISSN 0147-9032. JSTOR 40241326.
  2. 1 2 3 "Review of Strikes in 1936" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics. (includes strike number data from 1916-1936).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Strikes in the United States, 1880-1936 : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 651" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Major Work Stoppages: 1947 - Present". bls.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  5. 1 2 3 "BLS Handbook of Methods for Surveys and Studies : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 1910". Bureau of Labor. 1976-01-01. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. 1 2 "History : Handbook of Methods: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". bls.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  7. ↑ Koepnick, Brian (1996). "Tampa's Historic Cigar Factories: Making a Case for Preservation" (PDF).
  8. ↑ Brecher, Jeremy (2020). "Chapter 4: Nineteen Nineteen". Strike!. Internet Archive. Oakland : PM Press. pp. 109–148. ISBN 978-1-62963-808-9.
  9. ↑ "STRIKE TIES UP PORT; 100,000 IDLE; Tons of Food Lying on Piers, and Government Takes Charge of Freight Shipments. STRUGGLE WITHIN THE UNION Longshoremen's Officers Regain Measure of Control; Allege I.W.W. Influence. Yield to Union Leaders' Persuasion. STRIKE TIES UP PORT; 100,000 IDLE Quit Work by the Thousands. Plead for "One Big Union." Accuse Radicals In Strike". The New York Times. 1919-10-10. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. ↑ "Harbor Men Begin 'War' By Big Riot In Brooklyn" (PDF). New York Tribune. October 28, 1919.
  11. ↑ "Analysis of Strikes in 1937" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  12. ↑ "Analysis of Strikes in 1938" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  13. ↑ "Strikes in 1939" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  14. ↑ "Strikes in 1940" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  15. ↑ "Strikes in 1941" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  16. ↑ "Strikes in 1942" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  17. ↑ "Strikes in 1943" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  18. ↑ "Work Stoppages Caused by Labor Management Disputes in 1945" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  19. ↑ "Work Stoppages Caused by Labor Management Disputes in 1945" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  20. ↑ "Work Stoppages Caused by Labor Management Disputes in 1946" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  21. 1 2 3 United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics (1943-01-01), Analysis of Work Stoppages, U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, retrieved 2023-08-22
  22. ↑ "Annual and Detailed Monthly Data Tables : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". www.bls.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-16.

Further reading

Brenner, Aaron, et al. eds. The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History (Routledge, 2009) Library

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