Who’s On Strike in the U.S.?

There have been 304 labor actions so far in 2024.

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Updated · 14 min read
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Written by Anna Helhoski
Senior Writer
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Edited by Rick VanderKnyff
Senior Assigning Editor
 
Fact Checked

Updated on Nov. 19.

University of California service and patient care workers: More than 37,000 UC workers, represented by AFSCME Local 3299, are on strike Nov. 20 and Nov. 21 as bargaining negotiations have broken down. The union’s members are service workers, patient care technical workers and skilled craft workers who work across the system’s 10 campuses, medical centers, clinics and research laboratories. Contracts for both patient care workers and service workers have expired.

Philadelphia mass transit workers: A union representing 5,000 of Philadelphia’s mass transit system workers agreed to hold off a potential strike as contract negotiations continue.

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. 19 there have been 304 labor actions in the U.S. in 442 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?

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More strikes are expected in the days to come. Here are some of the recent major strikes in the U.S.

On Nov. 4, Boeing machinists voted to accept the company’s latest contract proposal, ending a 53-day strike at the embattled company.

An estimated 33,000 Boeing employees in Oregon and Washington walked off the job on Sept. 13 after members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 rejected a tentative deal between union leadership and the company.

Under the deal approved by 59% of voting members includes 38% in wage increases over five years, as well as a $12,000 cash bonus. The union had been seeking raises of 40% and the restoration of a pension plan. The previous contract expired Sept. 12.

On Nov. 13, as the employees returned to work, the company announced it would be laying off 10% of its workforce.

A dockworkers strike that threatened to cause shortages and price hikes was paused in early October after the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) offered wage increases over a new six-year contract. Negotiations will continue between USMX and the International Longshoremen’s Association AFL-CIO on some of the workers’ other demands including protections against automation.

The workers went on strike at 36 U.S. ports on the East and Gulf coasts Oct. 1 as negotiations between the ILA and the USMX failed to reach a deal by the strike deadline. The workers’ current contract, which expired Sept. 30 will be extended until Jan. 15. It covers 25,000 port workers, according to USMX. It was the first dockworkers strike on the East Coast since 1977.

The tentative agreement reached Oct. 3 will include a 62% wage increase over the course of the new contract — initially the ILA asked for a 77% increase. ThHe ILA is also demanding higher starting wages, improvements to health care and retirement benefits, as well as automation job protections.

The ports handle nearly half of all U.S. import and export cargo. The strike threatened to significantly stymie trade flows and, if it went on long enough, could have eventually resulted in shortages and higher prices across the U.S.

On Aug. 18, Cornell University workers represented by the United Auto Workers union went on strike. The union represents 1,200 university workers and is demanding wage increases. The picketing workers include critical personnel such as food service workers and custodians. The strike began on the eve of student move-ins for the fall semester. A tentative agreement was reached on Aug. 27 and ratified on Sept. 2, ending the strike.

On Aug. 28, the Association of Flight Attendants - CWA (AFA), which represented some 28,000 workers, voted to authorize a strike. Contract negotiations have been stalled for three years with United Airlines. The union noted that this was the first time since 2005 bankruptcy negotiations that UA flight attendants voted on a strike authorization. The workers are demanding increased pay; payment for time worked regardless if it’s in the air or on the ground; retroactive pay; more scheduling flexibility; retirement benefits; and job security.

Strikes work differently at airlines versus other industries. The union must request and be granted a release from the National Mediation Board. Then the union would not be able to strike for 30 days.

SAG-AFTRA video game actors

On July 26, video game actors with SAG-AFTRA went on strike against the major publishers of video games. The actors union has been stalled in its negotiations with some of the biggest players in the space such as Activision and Electronic Arts. Workers want protections against A.I., which has the potential to train on their voices and then replace them. On Sept. 5, performers reached agreement with 80 individual games; the strike continues against several major game publishers.

On July 14, more than 100 hospital service workers at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on strike. The workers are members of SEIU Local 73. They are negotiating for a three-year contract that guarantees better pay, vacation and overtime benefits, as well as more affordable health insurance.

Since July 2024, workers with United Here Local 11 have staged strikes at multiple hotels in Los Angeles. The union is bargaining with the Coordinated Bargaining Group for higher wages; better benefits and improved working conditions; and permanent jobs for replacement workers.

As of Nov. 14, striking workers reached deals with 72 hotels in Los Angeles. That leaves three remaining area hotels with workers in contract negotiations.

More than 9,500 hotel workers staged a strike targeting 25 Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott hotels in nine cities across the country over the Labor Day weekend, according to the Unite Here union. Workers were back on the job by Sept. 4 at most locations but the union continues to press on demands including pay raises and workload.

Graduate student worker strikes in 2024

On June 10, academic workers at multiple University of California campuses returned to work after the university was granted a temporary restraining order. The university said the strike was not the result of a labor issue and violated a clause in the workers’ contract regarding strikes.

Academic workers at three University of California campuses began a strike on June 3: UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Irvine. The workers joined academic workers at UCLA and UC Davis, which went on strike as of May 28 as well as some 2,000 student workers at UC Santa Cruz who went on strike as of May 20. The student workers are all members of United Auto Workers Local 4811. The workers were striking in response to the University of California system's handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campuses. Police officers arrested more than 200 protesters at UCLA on May 1. Then on May 6 police officers arrested more than 60 protesters at UC San Diego.

On May 14, some 6,000 student workers at the University of Washington went on strike. The workers, represented by the United Auto Workers Local 4121, were bargaining for better pay. A deal was soon reached.

» MORE: How to survive a strike

Workers at multiple media companies nationwide have walked off the job for one-day strikes since the start of the year. Here’s what went down:

  • On Aug. 5, workers with Crooked Media Workers Union-Writers Guild of America East went on a single-day strike against Crooked Media, which produces the “Pod Save America” podcast. The union, which has been negotiating with Crooked Media, walked out in protest of alleged anti-union tactics.

  • On June 18, some 150 members of the Oxford University Press USA Guild staged a one-day strike in New York. The workers, a unit of the News Guild-CWA Local 31222, have been negotiating with the publishing house for three years.

  • On May 30, the union representing The Wall Street Journal reportedly announced a walkout in protest of the company’s expected layoffs. 

  • On April 6, members of the NewsGuild-CWA at Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y. went on strike; they’re bargaining for higher pay and protections from both layoffs and artificial intelligence.

  • On April 5, members of the NewsGuide-CWA at the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas went on strike. Workers returned to work after four days. 

  • On March 20, members of The NewsGuild of New York at Law360, owned by LexisNexis, walked off the job for 24 hours in protest of what the union alleges are illegal layoffs. The union has been in negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement since members’ contract expired on December 31, 2022.

  • On Feb. 1, roughly 230 members of The NewsGuild-CWA walked out of newsrooms owned by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund, for one day in protest of layoffs and stalled contract negotiations. Union workers comprise seven newsrooms across the country including Allentown, Penn.; Chicago; Orlando; and Norfolk, Va. The workers want pay increases, retirement benefit protection, and a substantial effort to address racial and gender pay disparities.

  • On Jan. 25, dozens of union workers at the New York Daily News walked out in protest of staff-cutting measures by the company and stalled contract bargaining. 

  • On Jan. 25, workers at Forbes staged the first ever strike at the business publication. The strike, which lasted three days, was in protest of impassive contract bargaining.

  • On Jan. 24, workers with the San Antonio Report Union walked out in protest of the layoff of an editor. The union also filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the company. 

  • On Jan. 23, more than 400 unionized workers across 11 publications owned by Conde Nast walked out. Workers were protesting a standstill in contract bargaining.  

  • On Jan. 19, L.A. Times Guild members walked off the job in anticipation of layoffs — the paper later announced it would be gutting 20% of its staff. 

  • On Dec. 7, 2023 some 750 Washington Post staffers walked off the job to protest an impasse in bargaining with the newspaper that has left workers without a contract for 18 months.

Starbucks and Starbucks Workers United, which represents workers in around 400 U.S. stores, resumed contract talks on April 24, overcoming an impasse that lasted for nearly a year.

The negotiations come after the company and the union agreed in February to develop a “framework” they would use in collective bargaining. At that time, Starbucks announced it would provide workers in unionized stores with benefits such as tipping that were provided to non-unionized stores in 2022.

Starbucks and Workers United have had a notoriously acrimonious relationship that has resulted in multiple labor practice complaints against the coffee chain. Baristas at unionized sites have walked off the job in several strikes — usually falling on “Red Cup Day,” the chain’s biggest sales day of the year — since it began organizing workers in 2021.

One such complaint has landed in the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices heard a case between Starbucks and the National Labor Relations Board just a day before contract negotiations were set to resume. The coffee giant is challenging an NLRB order that it must reinstate seven workers at a Memphis store who were fired while campaigning to form a union.

The court appeared to lean in favor of Starbucks during arguments on April 23, according to news reports. If justices side with Starbucks, it could make it harder for the NLRB to obtain a court injunction to force businesses to reinstate workers fired during a labor dispute.

Recent strikes in the U.S.

Disneyland workers reach deal, avoid strike

On July 30, Disneyland workers ratified a new contract with the company avoiding a strike. The deal was secured by the Master Services Council, which represents 14,000 Disney workers.

The unions were in negotiations with Disney for months before reaching an agreement. that includes pay increases and a more flexible attendance policy for certain workers. The Master Services Council represents a group of unions including Teamsters Local 495; Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83; Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW); and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324.

Additional union activity among “cast members” at Disney has been growing: On May 18, some 1,700 cast members at Disneyland Resort voted to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association.

Progressive Workers Union reaches agreement with Sierra Club

On June 27, staffers of the Sierra Club voted to authorize a strike. The workers, affiliated with the Progressive Workers Union, are alleging union busting activities by leadership under Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous and are asking for a moratorium on layoffs until the end of 2025. On July 2, the union and the Sierra Club reached an agreement and the strike was averted.

IATSE and studios reach basic agreement

On June 25, with just over a month left until the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ contract was set to expire, the union came to a tentative agreement with TV and film studios. The deal includes wage increases,; A.I. protections; and streaming residuals. On July 18, IATSE members ratified the new contract.

Nurses in Oregon

On June 18, some 3,000 nurses at six Providence Health & Services facilities in Oregon began a three-day strike. The Oregon Nurses Association is bargaining for more staffing, higher pay and better benefits. Providence Health hired temporary workers to staff the locations.

Housing authority workers in Marin County

Marin Housing Authority (MHA) workers in Marin County, Calif. are on strike as of March 11. The workers, represented by SEIU Local 1021, are protesting the housing authority’s practice of replacing union jobs with contracting agencies. The union argues that MHA residents are “living in unsafe, degrading conditions,” according to a press release on March 8.

Waffle House workers in Georgia

On March 26, unionized Georgia Waffle House workers went on strike in protest of the company’s nationwide policy of deducting $3 from workers’ pay each shift for meal credit. The credit is deducted even if an employee doesn’t have a meal during their shift. The Union of Southern Service Workers estimates the policy deducts $30 million from workers’ pay each year. The workers are also demanding 24/7 security and a wage increase to $25 per hour for all workers.

Warehouse workers in Sacramento, Calif.

As of March 11, warehouse workers with the Teamsters Local 150 went on strike in Sacramento, Calif. The workers are bargaining with AmerisourceBergen distribution center for “fair wage progression, lower health care costs and stronger seniority rights, according to a press release from the union.

Houston teachers strike

On April 4, members of Houston Education Association and Houston Federation of Teachers staged a one-day strike against the Houston Independent School District. The teachers called in “sick” in protest of the district’ superintendent who was appointed by the state and policies he instituted. The state prohibits any public sector employees from striking.

Nurses strike in Santa Clara

On April 2, some 3,000 unionized nurses with the Registered Nurses Professional Association went on a three-day strike after negotiations stalled with the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare System. The nurses want a pay raise and reforms to the policy of reassigning nurses to different hospitals.

Warehouse workers in Sacramento, Calif.

On March 11, warehouse workers with the Teamsters Local 150 went on strike in Sacramento, Calif. The workers bargained with Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen) distribution center for “fair wage progression, lower health care costs and stronger seniority rights, according to a press release from the union. On April 3, the workers ratified a three-year agreement and the strike ended

MASS MoCa UAW members

A strike by UAW union members at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCa) in North Adams, Mass. has ended. The union began its strike on March 6. The museum and its workers reached a two-year contract that includes a wage increase, additional holiday pay and overtime pay. The strike ended on March 26.

UAW in Kentucky negotiate deal with Ford

On Feb. 21, United Auto Workers Local 862 at Kentucky Truck Plant negotiated a tentative deal with Ford Motor Co. to avoid a strike. The union’s nearly 9,000 workers warned Ford that they would strike as soon as Feb. 23. The workers were demanding improvements to health and safety at the plant as part of a new contract, according to the UAW.

Bus drivers and mechanics stage two-day strike in Virginia

On Feb. 22, some 689 northern Virginia bus drivers and mechanics with ATU Local 689 began a two-day strike against Transdev, the contractor of the drivers’ employer — Fairfax Connector. Union workers’ contract expired in December and it has been locked in contract negotiations with the contractor since October.

Casino workers in Las Vegas reach deal ahead of the Super Bowl

On Feb. 4, members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents some 7,700 casino workers in Las Vegas, announced it had struck deals with all but one casino. It called off a strike that could have arrived before the Super Bowl. The union won a new five-year contract that included higher wages and more benefits, a daily housekeeping requirement, improved safety measures and job security in the face of emerging technology.

Teachers Strike Breaks Records in Boston Suburb

Teachers in Newton Public Schools, a district in a Boston suburb, went on strike for 11 school days beginning on Jan. 19. The strike included 1,900 members of the Newton Teachers Association who were locked in negotiations with the school district. The teachers bargained for increased pay, added parental leave and more social workers in schools.

Strikes by public employees are illegal in Massachusetts and the union was fined more than half a million dollars for the strike. Two lawsuits were also filed on behalf of parents who want their children back to school. The strike finally broke and students returned to school on Monday Feb. 5.

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.

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News via Getty Images)

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