30 years of strikes: see how Hollywood’s walkout stacks up
Economy 30 years of strikes: see how Hollywood’s walkout stacks up
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The number of workers on strike this year has already surpassed any year since the start of the pandemic, according to Bloomberg Law’s database of work stoppages. The 160,000 SAG-AFTRA actors on strike is the biggest single work stoppage in over 25 years. Numerous large labor contracts ending in 2023 — including with the Big 3 Detroit automakers — could set this year up to be one of the most significant for strikes in recent history.
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But even if this is hot strike summer, this year’s surge in work stoppages still pales in comparison to decades past.
Here’s how today’s strikes compare with the past 30 years of labor activity.
Each box represents a strike The more workers on strike, the bigger the box Each row represents a year of strikes, sorted by industry: Education Entertainment Health Manufacturing Transportation and utilities Other The taller the row, the more workers went on strike that year Strikes in: SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike 160k workers striking 2023 323k workers 2022 221k Strikes have been on the rise amid a hot labor market and the end of multiple large union contracts following a pandemic lull. 2020 saw the smallest number of strikes in at least three decades. 2021 118k 2020 A wave of educator strikes in 2018 and 2019 closed public schools in 13 states, and put more workers on strike in 2018 than in any year since at least 1990. North Carolina public schools 93K 2019 500k North Carolina public schools 123k 2018 557k High unemployment during and after the Great Recession dampened workers’ willingness to strike. 2017 AT&T, 40k Verizon, 39k 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 188k 2011 150k Verizon 45k 2010 2009 2008 146k Puerto Rico public schools Boeing Strike activity fell in the years after 9/11 as American culture became less tolerant of dissent and as the American manufacturing industry shrank. General Motors 73k Taxi strike 33k 2007 266k 2006 110k Transit workers 2005 167k SBC Communications 102k 2004 231k Safeway 78k 2003 222k 2002 106k 2001 206k AFTRA strike 135k Verizon 86k 2000 457k The 90s saw more strikes than recent years. 1999 143k Bell Atlantic 73k 1998 356k United Parcel Service 185k 1997 384k The 1997 UPS strike was the third-largest in the last 30 years — and still around half the size of the UPS strike averted in July 2023. 1996 176k Boeing 1995 227k UPS 40k Freight workers 75k 1994 357k 1993 260k The two largest work stoppages in 30 years were from the same multiyear rail contract negotiation. Congress halted both, only possible because the Railway Labor Act gives the sector limited rights to strike. Rail strike and lockout 250k 1992 423k Rail strike 235k 1991 526k 1990 301k Each box represents a strike The more workers on strike, the bigger the box Each row represents a year of strikes, sorted by industry: Transportation and utilities Education Entertainment Health Manufacturing Other The taller the row, the more workers went on strike that year Strikes in: Los Angeles public schools 65k SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike 160k workers striking 2023 323k workers Chicago public schools UCLA graduate students 2022 221k Strikes have been on the rise amid a hot labor market and the end of multiple large union contracts following a pandemic lull. 2020 saw the smallest number of strikes in at least three decades. 2021 118k Kaiser Permanente 2020 A wave of educator strikes in 2018 and 2019 closed public schools in 13 states, and put more workers on strike in 2018 than in any year since at least 1990. North Carolina public schools 93K 2019 500k Arizona public schools 81k North Carolina public schools 123k 2018 557k High unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession dampened workers’ willingness to strike. AT&T, 17k AT&T, 40k 2017 Verizon, 39k 2016 2015 2014 2013 Pacific Bell 2012 188k Kaiser Permanente Verizon 45k 2011 150k 2010 2009 Puerto Rico public schools Boeing 27k 2008 146k Strike activity fell in the years after 9/11 as American culture became less tolerant of dissent and as the American manufacturing industry shrank. General Motors 73k Taxi strike 26k Taxi strike 33k 2007 266k 2006 110k Boeing 18k NYC transit workers, 35k 2005 167k SBC Communications 102k 2004 231k Safeway 78k 2003 222k 2002 106k 2001 206k AFTRA strike 135k Verizon 86k 2000 457k The 90s saw far more strikes than recent decades. 1999 143k Lucent Tech 44k Bell Atlantic 73k 1998 356k United Parcel Service 185k 1997 384k The 1997 UPS strike was the third-largest in the last 30 years — and still around half the size of the UPS strike averted in July 2023. 1996 176k Boeing 33k Safeway 32k 1995 227k UPS 40k Freight workers 75k 1994 357k 1993 260k The two largest work stoppages in 30 years were from the same multiyear rail contract negotiation. Congress halted both, only possible because the Railway Labor Act gives the industry limited rights to strike. Rail strike and lockout 250k 1992 423k Rail strike 235k 1991 526k 1990 301k Each box represents a strike The more workers on strike, the bigger the box Each row represents a year of strikes, sorted by industry: Education Entertainment Health Manufacturing Transportation and utilities Other The taller the row, the more workers went on strike that year Strikes in: SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike 160k workers striking 2023 323k workers Strikes have been on the rise amid a hot labor market and the end of multiple large union contracts. Chicago public schools 33k UCLA graduate students 36k 2022 221k Kaiser Permanente, 40k 2021 118k 2020 The first year of the pandemic saw the smallest number of strikes in at least three decades. North Carolina public schools 93K General Motors 49K 2019 500k Arizona public schools 81k North Carolina public schools 123k 2018 557k A wave of educator strikes in 2018 and 2019 closed public schools in 13 states, and made 2018 the most significant year for strikes since at least 1990. 2017 93k Chicago public schools, 27k Verizon 39k 2016 128k 2015 2014 Kaiser Foundation Hospital 2013 87k Chicago Board of Education Chicago public schools 2012 188k High unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession dampened workers’ willingness to strike. Kaiser Permanente, 29k Verizon 45k 2011 150k 2010 104k 2009 Boeing 27k Puerto Rico public schools 42k 2008 146k General Motors 73k NYC taxi strike 26k NYC taxi strike 33k 2007 266k 2006 110k Goodyear Boeing 18k NYC transit workers 35k 2005 167k Home health workers SBC Communications 102k 2004 231k Safeway 78k Strike activity fell in the years after 9/11 as American culture became less tolerant of dissent. 2003 222k 2002 106k Wash. state workers Hawaii DOE 16k Minn. state workers 30k 2001 206k Verizon 86k Los Angeles county workers 47k AFTRA strike 135k 2000 457k Chrysler 16k 1999 143k NYC taxi strike 24k Lucent Tech 44k Bell Atlantic 73k workers 1998 356k United Parcel Service 185k The 1997 UPS strike was the third-largest in the last 30 years — and still around half the size of the UPS strike averted in July 2023. 1997 384k 1996 176k Boeing 33k Safeway 32k 1995 227k UPS 40k Freight workers 75k Manufacturing strikes were more common in the 1990s, when the sector employed many more people in the U.S. 1994 357k Amer. Airlines 21k 1993 260k Rail strike and lockout 250k 1992 423k Rail strike 235k 1991 526k The two largest work stoppages in recent years were from the same multiyear rail contract negotiation. Congress halted both, only possible because the Railway Labor Act gives the industry limited rights to strike. 1990 301k Each box represents a strike The more workers on strike, the bigger the box Each row represents a year of strikes, sorted by industry: Education Entertainment Health Manufacturing Transportation and utilities Other The taller the row, the more workers went on strike that year Strikes in: Los Angeles public schools 65k SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike 160k workers striking 2023 323k workers Strikes have been on the rise amid a hot labor market and the end of multiple large union contracts. UCLA graduate students 36k 2022 221k 2021 118k John Deere Kaiser Permanente, 40k 2020 Construction, 10k The first year of the pandemic saw the smallest number of strikes in at least three decades. North Carolina public schools 93k General Motors 49K 2019 500k W.Va. public schools 35k Oklahoma public schools 45k Colorado public schools 63k Arizona public schools 81k North Carolina public schools 123k 2018 557k A wave of educator strikes in 2018 and 2019 closed public schools in 13 states, and made 2018 the most significant year for strikes since at least 1990. 2017 93k AT&T, 17k AT&T, 40k 2016 128k Verizon 39k Chicago public schools 27k 2015 2014 Kaiser Foundation hospital, 19k 2013 87k University of California Medicine High unemployment in the wake of the Great Recession dampened workers’ willingness to strike. Chicago Board of Education 26k Chicago public schools 25k Kaiser Permanente 21k 2012 188k Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, 29k Verizon 45k 2011 150k 2010 104k 2009 Puerto Rico public schools 42k Boeing 27k 2008 146k W.Va. public schools 17k WGA 12k General Motors 73k NYC taxi strike 26k NYC taxi strike 33k 2007 266k 2006 110k Goodyear, 13k Boeing 18k NYC transit workers 35k 2005 167k Home health workers 23k SBC Communications 102k 2004 231k Safeway 78k Strike activity fell in the years after 9/11 as American culture became less tolerant of dissent. 2003 222k 2002 106k Hawaii DOE 16k Wash. state workers 20k Minn. state workers 30k 2001 206k AFTRA strike 135k Verizon 86k Los Angeles county workers 47k 2000 457k Chrysler 16k 1999 143k Lucent Tech 44k Bell Atlantic 73k US West 35k 1998 356k The 1997 UPS strike was the third-largest in the last 30 years — and still around half the size of the UPS strike averted in July 2023. Kaiser Permanente 34k United Parcel Service 185k 1997 384k 1996 176k Boeing 33k Safeway 32k 1995 227k Manufacturing strikes were more common in the 1990s, when the sector employed many more people in the U.S. Freight workers 75k UPS 40k 1994 357k Amer. Airlines 21k Grocery stores 22k Coal miners 17k 1993 260k Rail strike and lockout 250k 1992 423k The two largest work stoppages in recent years were from the same multiyear rail contract negotiation. Congress halted both, only possible because the Railway Labor Act gives the industry limited rights to strike. Home health workers 29k Rail strike 235k 1991 526k W.Va. public schools 19k Okla. public schools 20k 1990 301k
From a 30-year view, the 1990s saw an impressive number of workers on strike — about twice as many as would strike in the next decade. But prior decades of walkouts far surpass those of the 1990s, when more than a million workers routinely went on strike each year.
The decline in strikes coincides with falling union membership. Forty years ago, 1 in 5 workers were in a union. In 2022, union membership hit a record low of 10 percent. Employers also became more willing to replace striking workers in the early 1980s, rather than negotiating with them.
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Labor historian Lane Windham said she thinks that the strikes of summer 2023 are part of a broader reshuffling of relations between employers, workers and the government.
“We are likely to see more years of collective action among workers and strikes over the coming five to 10 years,” said Windham, a professor at Georgetown University and a former labor organizer. And the Hollywood strike could be particularly significant.
“A whole generation of young workers are seeing actors with picket signs,” Windham said. “And that is enormously influential.”
About this story
Data on individual work stoppages since 1990 is from Bloomberg Law. Lockouts, work stoppages initiated by employers, were excluded from the analysis. However, half of all work stoppages that occurred before 2009, which involved 12 percent of workers, were not categorized, so the above visualization may include lockouts. Lockouts are a very small share of work stoppages: For categorized data since 2009, lockouts made up only 4 percent of strikes involving 1 percent of workers.
Annual data on work stoppages from 1950-2023 comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which only tracks stoppages with at least 1,000 workers.
Source: The Washington Post
