March 13, 2003 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Workers idled by work stoppages at historic low

During 2002, 46,000 workers were idled due to major work stoppages. This was a historic low for the series, which dates back to 1947.

[Chart data—TXT]

One work stoppage beginning in 2002 accounted for 20 percent of all workers idled. This stoppage was between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, with 10,500 workers idled. None of the remaining stoppages idled 5,000 or more workers. A strike against the Cook County Court System by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was the second largest work stoppage in terms of number of workers idled (3,800 workers), but accounted for only 8 percent of all workers idled.

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:

• Fewer major work stoppages in 2002