(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) reports that last year saw a resurgence in collective action among Workers with more than 16.2 million Workers represented by Labor Unions in 2023, an increase of 191,000 from 2022.

Workers also filed petitions for Union Elections in record numbers and captured significant wage gains through work stoppages and contract negotiations.

Further, organizing efforts continued in a variety of sectors - including health care, non-profits, higher education, museums, retail and manufacturing.

Strikes were among the more prominent forms of collective action in 2023.  

A Strike is when Workers withhold their labor from their employer during a labor dispute.  

By withholding their labor - labor that employers depend on to produce goods and provide services - Workers can counteract existing power imbalances between themselves and their employer.

 And, Strikes provide critical leverage to Workers when they bargain with employers over fair pay and working conditions, when employers violate Labor Law or when employers refuse to voluntarily recognize Unions.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that 458,900 Workers were involved in “major work stoppages” in 2023.

The number of workers involved in major work stoppages increased by 280% in 2023, returning to levels last seen prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

These Strikes included Workers across the country - from Auto Workers to Hollywood Writers and Actors, Nurses and Public School Teachers.

A common theme among Strikes in 2023 was a demand for higher pay amid the inflationary shocks stemming from pandemic re-opening, global crises, record profits for many corporations, and stratospheric CEO pay.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Major strike activity increased by 280% in 2023: Many workers still need policies that protect their right to strike | Economic Policy Institute (epi.org)

Photo Courtesy Of The Statesman (HAL employees to go ahead with indefinite strike today, after failed talks - The Statesman)