March 18, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Length of work stoppages in 2002

The average length of work stoppages that began in 2002 was 21 days.

[Chart data—TXT]

Nearly three-fourths of all work stoppages lasted 30 days or less. The longest work stoppage was a 51-day dispute between three Queens, New York, bus lines and the Transport Workers, which also was the only dispute in 2002 that lasted more than 50 days.

These data are from the BLS Collective Bargaining Agreements Program.  Learn more about work stoppages from news release USDL 03-100, "Major Work Stoppages in 2002." Major work stoppages are defined as strikes or lockouts that idle 1,000 or more workers and last at least one shift.

Related Articles:

• Workers idled by work stoppages at historic low
• Fewer major work stoppages in 2002