By Mrinalika Roy
(Reuters) -The first large-scale strike by dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts in nearly 50 years, blocking everything from food to car shipments, has once again highlighted the growing mobilization of unions in the country since last year.
Here are some key industrial actions in 2023 and 2024:
LOGISTICS
** Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association left major U.S. ports on Oct. 1 after talks with the United States Maritime Alliance over a new contract collapsed.
The combined 36 ports on the East Coast and Gulf Coast handle 57% of U.S. container volume, and analysts warned the disruption will cost the economy billions of dollars a day.
**Teamsters union workers at United Package Service (NYSE:) ratified a new five-year contract in August 2023, averting a strike.
** FedEx (NYSE:) pilots have been locked in a standoff with the company since May last year over wages and legacy pensions.
AIRLINES AND AIRLINE COMPANIES
** More than 32,000 Boeing (NYSE:) workers in Seattle and Oregon walked off their jobs on September 13, in the union’s first strike since 2008, seeking a 40% pay increase and the restoration of a fixed pension.
** Pilots at airlines including American Airlines (NASDAQ:), Delta Air Lines (NYSE:), United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:), Spirit Airlines (NYSE:) and Jetblue Airways will negotiate new employment contracts in 2023.
** Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:) has negotiated a new contract to end a weeklong work stoppage at its Kansas plant in June 2023.
AUTOMOTIVE
** General Motors (NYSE:), Ford (NYSE:) and Chrysler owner Stellantis (NYSE:) ratified agreements with United Auto Workers members in November 2023. The UAW said on November 15, 2023 that approximately 3,900 of its members at Mack Trucks have ratified a new five-year contract, ending a month-long strike at the Volvo (OTC:) Group-owned company.
MEDIA
** Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) approved a new three-year contract with major studios on October 9, 2023, after striking in May over compensation and other issues.
**Hollywood actors reached a tentative agreement with major studios on November 8, 2023 to resolve the second of two strikes over higher wages in the streaming era that hit the entertainment industry.
STEEL
** American steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:) reached a preliminary agreement with the United Steelworkers union in August 2023 on a new labor agreement for its mining activities in Northshore.
CONSUMER & RETAIL
** In Las Vegas, thousands of employees reached agreements with casino operators and resorts Caesars (NASDAQ:) Entertainment, MGM Resorts (NYSE:) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:) in November 2023 to avert strikes.
** The Detroit Casino Council reached a tentative contract agreement for 3,700 workers at casinos operated by MGM Resorts, Penn and the MotorCity Casino in November 2023, following the first-ever strike.
** More than 3,000 employees at more than 150 Starbucks (NASDAQ:) stores held strikes in June 2023, following claims that the company had banned Pride Month decorations in some cafes.
**Employees at hundreds of Starbucks stores left their jobs during a promotional event last November due to staffing issues.
** Thousands of hotel workers in the Los Angeles area went on strike for three days in July 2023 over wages and working conditions.
HEALTHCARE
** More than 7,000 nurses went on strike in New York City in January this year over staffing and wages.
** Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers voted to ratify a new contract with the hospital chain on November 9, 2023, following the largest recorded strike in the US medical sector.
** Employees of CVS Health (NYSE:) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:) held a three-day strike in October 2023 over working conditions and workforce levels.
ENERGY
** More than 200 Teamsters members who worked at Marathon’s refinery in Detroit walked off the job on September 4, 2024 after months of wage and safety-related negotiations stalled.
** Union workers at the Phillips 66 (NYSE:) plant in Illinois ratified a contract with the refinery late in negotiations over wages and benefits, averting a strike last September.
