Work Stoppages Remain on the Rise, Employee Voice Not Going Away

Workers are walking off the job at a rate unseen in recent years and fueled by more than just lingering Covid-19 pandemic issues, as employee voice continues to grow amid full-throated rhetorical and legal support from the Biden administration. 

Strike numbers way up: According to the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations Strike Tracker, the number of estimated striking workers thus far in 2023 has already nearly doubled the total amount from all of 2022. Similarly, there have already been nearly as many strikes in 2023 as there were in the entirety of 2022. 

While the initial wave of strike activity may have been mainly tied to pandemic-related grievances, the continued and increasing number of strikes – and workers involved in such strikes – underscores the staying power of growing employee voice. Workers – with the full support of the Biden administration and a Labor Board that has increased unions’ and workers’ leverage while limiting the same for employers – are feeling more and more empowered to walk off the job. Employers should be aware that employees have a federal right to strike and engage in certain other concerted activities regardless of whether they are represented by a union or are seeking to be represented.

Given that union membership has remained relatively static over the last few years, the increase in strike activity highlights the willingness of workers to take action, regardless of whether they are unionized.

Outlook: Although the pandemic may have been the catalyst for the explosion in employee voice, the movement has clearly outgrown pandemic-related concerns and is here to stay. Strike activity could skyrocket even further before the end of the year given ongoing high-profile collective bargaining negotiations, including in the auto industry. Employers should continuously engage with their workers to ensure their concerns are being met, regardless of whether they have a union.