Who’s On Strike in the U.S.?
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Updated on Nov. 25.
Amazon workers: Amazon workers across the world are planning to strike or protest Amazon beginning on Black Friday through Cyber Monday — one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. The protest is organized by Swiss-based UNI Global Union, the grassroots political organization Progressive International and a coalition of other workers rights groups. It’s the fourth year that workers have gone on strike as part of the “Make Amazon Pay” campaign against the online shopping behemoth. Workers are demanding better working conditions, increased pay, sick leave, respect for worker organizing, improved environmental practices, and more.
Charlotte airport workers: On Monday, the branch of Service Employees International Union that represents workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport went on a 24-hour strike against ABM and Prospect Airport Services in protest of low wages. The union argues that the workers should be earning well above their current wages, which reportedly range from $12.50 to $19 per hour. The workers went on strike during one of the busiest weeks for travel.
Philadelphia mass transit workers: On Nov. 20, a union representing 5,000 of Philadelphia’s mass transit system workers came to a tentative 1-year agreement with SEPTA, avoiding a transit strike.
Kaiser Permanente mental health workers: More than 2,300 behavioral health professionals in Southern California have been on strike since Oct. 21. Striking members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers are seeking wage increases and a restoration of pensions, and are calling attention to deficiencies in Kaiser’s mental health care because of staffing shortages and related issues.
As of Nov. 25 there have been 307 labor actions in the U.S. in 455 locations in 2024, according to the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) Labor Action Tracker.
Going on strike means workers withhold labor from their employer in order to gain leverage to bargain for things like higher compensation and benefits, more protections, as well as improved working conditions. Workers don’t have to be part of a union to strike, but unions often organize and authorize strikes, as well as represent workers in negotiations.
» MORE: What is a strike?
More strikes are expected in the days to come. Here are some of the recent major strikes in the U.S.
Graduate student worker strikes in 2024
» MORE: How to survive a strike
Recent strikes in the U.S.
Striking worker totals increased by 141% in 2023
Strike activity has spiked over the last couple of years: Work stoppages increased 50% in 2022 compared to 2021, the IRL analysis of 2022 data shows. The uptick was smaller from 2022 to 2023 — a 9% increase — but the number of workers in work stoppages increased by 141% during that period.
The increase was mainly due to four large strikes that accounted for 65% of all workers who went on strike last year. The biggest strikes were held by SAG-AFTRA, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, Los Angeles Unified School District workers and the UAW.
Here are some of the key findings from the 2023 Labor Action Report from ILR.
Work stoppage totals: There were 470 work stoppages in 2023, including 466 strikes and four lockouts. In total, approximately 539,000 workers were involved in these work stoppages. Work stoppages increased by 9% from 2022 to 2023.
Workers involved: The number of workers involved in work stoppages increased by 141% from 2022 to 2023.
Workers' top demands: The report found workers were demanding “better pay, improved health and safety and increased staffing.”
How long work stoppages lasted: Most work stoppages lasted a short period of time. 62% lasted fewer than five days.
How many nonunion workers organized strikes: Nonunion workers organized 22% of all strikes in 2023 compared to 31% in 2022.
The industry that dominated strikes: The majority of work stoppages in 2023 were in the accommodation and food services industry — about one-third of all stoppages. But these stoppages account for only 6% of total workers involved in stoppages for the year. The majority of accommodation and food services workers were led by Starbucks Workers United — an organizing effort to unionize Starbucks locations — or the Fight for $15 campaign — an organizing effort to unionize underpaid workers and secure a $15 minimum wage.
Other industries that went on strike: Work stoppages were evenly dispersed across other industries outside of food services compared to 2022. The industries with the highest number of work stoppages included information, health care and social assistance, as well as educational services.
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