American Labor Activism

In 2023, approximately 539,000 U.S. workers from various sectors went on strike to demand higher pay, and many workers eventually secured more favorable contracts. The question is whether these wins will encourage continued industrial action in 2024.

The Labor Action Tracker—a collaboration between Cornell University and the University of Illinois—calculates that while the number of work stoppages increased by around 9% (433 to 470) between 2022 and 2023, the number of workers involved increased by some 141% (224,000 to 539,000).

In one of the most high-profile strikes of last year, around 49,800 workers affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW) group initiated a series of work stoppages to demand increased wages and benefits at the Big Three Detroit automakers – Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis.

On Tuesday, referring to the dockworkers’ strike, President Joe Biden asked the U.S. Maritime Alliance -- the group negotiating for the ports -- to negotiate a fair contract reflecting the dockers’ contribution to the economy.

“As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” Biden said in a statement, “dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits.”