March 03, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Fewer workers idled by work stoppages in 2005

Major work stoppages idled 99,600 workers in 2005. This measure declined from the prior year despite an increase in the number of work stoppage events.

[Chart data—TXT]

In 2004, there were 170,700 workers idled due to major work stoppages. There were 17 major work stoppages that began in 2004 and 22 that began in 2005.

The largest work stoppage in terms of worker participation in 2005 involved the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Transit Workers Union, Local 100 and idled 35,000 employees. The second largest was the Boeing Company and the International Association of Machinist, District 751 where 18,300 workers were idled. 

These data are from the BLS Collective Bargaining Agreements Program. Learn more about work stoppages from "Major Work Stoppages in 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-363. Major work stoppages are defined as strikes or lockouts that idle 1,000 or more workers and last at least one shift.