Last year was the largest labor strike since the turn of the century.
During the past 20 years, there have been about 17 major strikes a year, according to the Department of Labor, which they call “work lockouts.” By 2023, that was nearly double.
The following are the most important strikes that occurred during and ended in 2023, calculated by the number of strike days for all workers combined.
10. DCC vs. Detroit casinos
Cumulative dates do not apply: 99,500
The length of the strike: October 17 – December 2, 2023
Employees involved: 3,700 employees related to the Detroit Casino Council
Workers from the MGM Grand Detroit staged a 47-day strike that ended with a five-year contract that included an immediate 18% raise and bonus, less work and other worker protections. That strike coincided with a month-long strike by workers including bartenders, caterers, cleaners and valets at two other casinos in the city. Union employees at all three casinos are members of the Detroit Casino Council.
9. UAW vs. Mack Trucks
Cumulative dates do not apply: 112,000
The length of the strike: October 9 – Nov. 19, 2023
Employees involved: 4,000 workers affiliated with five local United Auto Workers unions
Volvo-owned Mack Trucks, the maker of semitrucks and other heavy-duty vehicles, has agreed to a contract with large pay raises for workers at facilities in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida after a strike that lasted more than a month. Union workers rejected an initial offer of a 19% raise over time – saying it was out of line with high inflation – and ended up with a deal offering an average increase of 36% over five years, including a 15% immediate pay rise. % of all employees.
8. SW vs. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Cumulative dates do not apply: 156,400
The length of the strike: Aug. 4 – December 15, 2023
Employees involved: 1,700 workers associated with the United Steelworkers union local 4-200
Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey have been on strike for nearly four months over labor issues, insurance benefits and sick leave. They were represented by the United Steelworkers, which – despite the name – has workers in many industries, including health care.
The strike ended with a three-year agreement to improve the quality of staff and infrastructure so that nurses are not cut too much. As part of the agreement, the hospital will hire 70 new registered nurses.
7. UAW competes with CNH Industrial
Cumulative dates do not apply: 180,000
The length of the strike: May 2, 2022 – Jan. 21, 2023
Employees involved: 1,000 workers from United Auto Workers local unions 180 and 807
A strike in Wisconsin and Iowa that lasted more than half a year required the help of US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to resolve it. Workers at CNH Industrial, a farm machinery manufacturer, walked in and out of buildings around the clock over issues including pay, time off and health care.
Details of the deal were not shared publicly, but previous offers were shot down. Some union members remain unsatisfied with the results, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
6. SEIU vs. Los Angeles public schools
Cumulative dates do not apply: 195,000
The length of the strike: March 21-23, 2023
Employees involved: 65,000 workers affiliated with Service Employees International Union local 99
The Los Angeles Unified School District, which oversees K-12 education in the city and is the second largest in the country, has agreed to a new contract after a three-day strike. The strike is being held to raise the wages of bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, teacher’s aides and campus security guards, who previously had an average annual salary of $25,000.
In the end, the workers received a 30% pay increase, a starting salary and a bonus. The minimum wage for service workers was raised, and part-time workers who worked at least four hours a day became eligible for health benefits.
5. SEIU, OPEIU and IFPTE vs. Kaiser Permanente
Cumulative dates do not apply: 226,800
The length of the strike: October 4-7, 2023
Employees involved: 75,600 workers affiliated with Service Employees International Union local unions; Office and Professional Employees International Union; and California Engineers and Scientists
A coalition of unions organized a three-day strike by the health care company’s nurses, pharmacists and ER technicians that resulted in a 21% wage increase over four years. “The agreement also requires Kaiser to invest in job training programs and use referral bonuses, more job fairs and other workforce development efforts to ensure an adequate supply of new workers in the future,” NPR reported.
4. GEO competes with the University of Michigan
Cumulative dates do not apply: 239,200
The length of the strike: March 29 – Aug. 25, 2023
Employees involved: 2,300 employees affiliated with the Graduate Staff Association
Graduate instructors and teaching assistants at the University of Michigan walked out late in the spring semester, refusing to change grades in some of the classes they taught. They reached an agreement with the school just before the start of the fall semester, receiving pay raises, one-time bonuses, improved health benefits and maternity leave equal to what a permanent principal enjoys.
3. The UAW competes with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis
Cumulative dates do not apply: 869,200
The length of the strike: September 15 – October 30, 2023
Employees involved: 49,800 workers affiliated with multiple local United Auto Workers unions
The United Auto Workers struck at three major automakers — General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis — and secured deals for each of them over a six-week period. Workers won an immediate 11% pay raise and raises in 2028 that would be 30% higher overall, the Associated Press reported.
2. WGA vs. Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
Cumulative dates do not apply: 1,173,000
The length of the strike: May 2 – September 24, 2023
Employees involved: 11,500 workers associated with Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East
The second largest strike of the year was one of the most publicized – because it shut down the streets of Hollywood for five months. In addition to concerns about pay and benefits, the sticking points for major entertainment companies negotiating with TV and film writers include rules around the industry’s use of AI and profit sharing from the continued popularity of broadcast content. The final deal was worth $233 million, nearly three times the industry’s previous offer.
1. SAG-AFTRA vs. Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
Cumulative dates do not apply: 13,120,000
The length of the strike: July 14 – Nov. 8, 2023
Employees involved: 160,000 workers associated with the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
A separate but related and overlapping strike – not by writers but by a large number of actors – ended more than a month later with a similar agreement. Screen Actors Guild members have won a bonus guarantee for streaming blockbusters, restrictions on the use of AI to duplicate actors’ likenesses, relocation pay and multiple pay raises over two years.
Source link