On Monday, nearly 50,000 members of the United Automobile Workers union went on strike at General Motors, demanding better pay and the reopening of several U.S. plants. If the strike persists for more than a few weeks, it will go down as one of the largest strikes in U.S. history.
Individually, workers do not have access to the same type of influence on their own and often even lack the power to influence within their own jobs. As a result, many have banded together to form unions. Unions allow members to have a single collective voice when negotiating for higher pay and improved working conditions. Unions can also prevent members from being fired or let go without severance. These are the jobs with the best and worst job security.
One of the most powerful tools in a union’s arsenal is labor stoppage, or strike, where all members agree to stop working until certain demands are met. Replacing all employees would be costly for a business, and strikes can often force companies to meet union demands. While the intention is a quick resolution, strikes can stretch for months and even years, resulting in millions of cumulative lost working days for the thousands of workers on strike and for their places of work.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as media and archive reports on historic work stoppages to determine the largest worker strikes in American history.
American unions have lost the power they once held. The ruling in the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME determined that public sector unions cannot require members to pay “agency fees,” which are similar to union dues. This means that non-union members can more easily reap the benefits of unions without paying into them. Many will likely choose not to pay, and experts predict certain unions, like those for firefighters and teachers, will lose money and political influence. Still, the strength of a union can vary greatly from state to state based on that state’s labor laws. These are the states with the strongest and weakest unions.
These are the largest worker strikes in American history.
Source: constantinopris / Getty Images
30. Detroit Newspapers Strike
> Duration: July 13, 1995 to Feb. 19, 1997
> No. of strikers: 2,500
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,012,500
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Source: Robert Giroux / Getty Images
29. Boeing Machinists Strike of 2008
> Duration: Sept. 6, 2008 to Nov. 1, 2008
> No. of strikers: 27,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,053,000
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Source: andresr / Getty Images
28. Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corp. Strike
> Duration: Oct. 1, 1996 to Aug. 12, 1997
> No. of strikers: 4,800
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,142,400
Source: shotbydave / Getty Images
27. Trucking Strike of 1994
> Duration: April 6, 1994 to April 29, 1994
> No. of strikers: 71,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,180,500
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Source: David Paul Morris / Getty Images
26. Northwest Airlines Strike
> Duration: Aug. 20, 2005 to Nov. 6, 2006
> No. of strikers: 3,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,183,800
Source: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
25. UAW Strike of 1996
> Duration: March 8, 1996 to March 22, 1996
> No. of strikers: 136,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,260,000
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Source: Leslie Leon / Getty Images
24. The U.S. Postal Strike of 1970
> Duration: March 18, 1970 to March 25, 1970
> No. of strikers: 210,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,260,000
Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons
23. Kaiser Aluminum Corp. Strike
> Duration: Oct. 1, 1998 to Sept. 18, 2000
> No. of strikers: 3,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,479,000
Source: rvolkan / Getty Images
22. Boeing Strike of 1995
> Duration: Oct. 6, 1995 to Dec. 14, 1995
> No. of strikers: 33,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,551,000
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Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
21. Charter Communications Inc. Strike
> Duration: March 28, 2017 to ongoing
> No. of strikers: 1,800
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,578,600
Source: General Photographic Agency / Getty Images
20. 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike
> Duration: May 9, 1934 to July 17, 1934
> No. of strikers: 35,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 1,750,000
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Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
19. United Parcel Service Strike of 1997
> Duration: Aug. 4, 1997 to Aug. 21, 1997
> No. of strikers: 180,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 2,032,500
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Source: Jupiterimages / Thinkstock
18. Bituminous Coal Operators Association Strike
> Duration: May 10, 1993 to Dec. 14, 1993
> No. of strikers: 16,800
> Cumulative days off the job: 2,203,000
Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
17. 1913 Paterson Silk Strike
> Duration: Feb. 25, 1913 to July 28, 1913
> No. of strikers: 23,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 2,530,000
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Source: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
16. The New York City Tugboat Strike of 1988
> Duration: Feb. 16, 1988 to Dec. 20, 1993
> No. of strikers: 1,600
> Cumulative days off the job: 2,895,200
Source: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images
15. General Motors Strike
> Duration: June 5, 1998 to July 29, 1998
> No. of strikers: 152,200
> Cumulative days off the job: 3,313,000
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Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images
14. Caterpillar Strike
> Duration: June 20, 1994 to Dec. 3, 1995
> No. of strikers: 14,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 4,063,000
Source: Wikimedia Commons
13. Passaic Textile Strike
> Duration: Jan. 25, 1926 to March 1, 1927
> No. of strikers: 15,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 4,215,000
Source: Wikimedia Commons
12. The 1934 Textile Worker Strike
> Duration: Sept. 3, 1934 to Sept. 23, 1934
> No. of strikers: 400,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 5,600,000
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Source: David McNew / Getty Images
11. Southern California Supermarket Strike
> Duration: Oct. 12, 2003 to Feb. 29, 2004
> No. of strikers: 67,300
> Cumulative days off the job: 5,718,100
Source: Fox Photos / Getty Images
10. The 1946 Union of Electrical, Radio and Machinist Workers’ Strike
> Duration: Jan. 15, 1946 to March 14, 1946
> No. of strikers: 174,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 7,308,000
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Source: Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons
9. The Great Southwest Railroad Strike
> Duration: March 1, 1886 to May 4, 1886
> No. of strikers: 200,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 9,400,000
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
8. Pullman Strike
> Duration: May 11, 1894 to July 20, 1894
> No. of strikers: 260,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 13,260,000
Source: Wikimedia Commons
7. Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902
> Duration: May 12, 1902 to Oct. 23, 1902
> No. of strikers: 147,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 15,141,000
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Source: David McNew / Getty Images
6. SAG-AFTRA Strike
> Duration: May 1, 2000 to Oct. 30, 2000
> No. of strikers: 135,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 17,280,000
Source: William Vanderson / Getty Images
5. United Auto Workers Strike of 1945
> Duration: Nov. 21, 1945 to March 13, 1946
> No. of strikers: 225,500
> Cumulative days off the job: 17,363,500
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Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
4. The Railroad Shop Workers Strike
> Duration: July 1, 1922 to Sept. 1, 1922
> No. of strikers: 400,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 18,000,000
Source: Wikimedia Commons
3. The Steel Strike of 1919
> Duration: Sept. 22, 1919 to Jan. 8, 1920
> No. of strikers: 350,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 26,600,000
Source: Calumet Regional Archives
2. The Steel Strike of 1959
> Duration: July 15, 1959 to Nov. 1, 1959
> No. of strikers: 500,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 38,000,000
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
1. United Mine Workers of America Strike of 1946
> Duration: April 1, 1946 to Dec. 7, 1946
> No. of strikers: 400,000
> Cumulative days off the job: 70,400,000
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