Number of American workers hitting the picket lines more than doubled last year as unions flexed

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Auto workers held waves of walkouts. Hollywood actors and writers picketed for months. And healthcare, education and hospitality employees also withheld their labor while calling for improved pay and job conditions. The number of U.S. workers on strike more than doubled last year. According to an annual report from the Labor Action Tracker, a collaboration between researchers at Cornell University and the University of Illinois, those involved in work stoppages climbed 141% in 2023 to a total of 539,000 striking workers. This jump can be largely credited to big, high-profile work stoppages, the Thursday report notes, from the United Auto Workers to the Screen Actors Guild.