US sees surging worker strikes in 2024

Seoul, Dec 29 (IANS) The United States experienced surging labour strikes in 2024, with workers across various sectors staging protests over issues ranging from wages to working conditions.

The nation witnessed 334 labour actions across 515 locations as of Friday, continuing an upward trend in strike activity in recent years, according to the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations’s Labor Action Tracker, a database of strike and labour protest activity.

One of the year’s most notable strikes occurred at Starbucks, where at least 5,000 workers from over 300 stores across 45 states walked off their jobs on Christmas Eve, according to their union, Starbucks Workers United, reports Xinhua news agency.

The strike, the largest ever at the coffee chain, involved workers from 12 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle. Workers demanded higher wages and fair scheduling while criticising the company’s executive compensation practices, particularly CEO Brian Niccol’s $113 million compensation package.

Just days before the Starbucks walkout, Amazon faced what the striking workers called the largest-ever strike during the peak Christmas shopping season.

While the labour union reported nearly 10,000 workers joining the movement for higher wages and improved workplace safety, Amazon disputed these figures, claiming that the striking workers aren’t even Amazon employees.

The manufacturing sector was also affected when approximately 33,000 Boeing machinists launched a seven-week strike in September.

Their union accepted a contract offer in November, and the striking workers returned to work. The strike, involving workers who assemble the bestselling 737 Max airliner in Washington, added to Boeing’s challenges in a turbulent year.

Maritime commerce faced major disruption in October when nearly 50,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) struck against East and Gulf Coast ports, affecting the flow of imports and exports from Maine to Texas.

The hospitality industry wasn’t spared from labour actions, as about 10,000 hotel workers struck across several major tourist destinations in September. The walkout impacted 24 hotels operated by Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt in cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Honolulu, Boston, and Seattle.

The hotel workers’ union, Unite Here, highlighted understaffing issues, with three staff members often doing the work meant for four.

Several factors contributed to the surge in labour activism. The US Department of Labor reported a doubling of union representation petitions from 1,638 in fiscal 2021 to 3,286 in fiscal 2024.

“Unions continue to be more popular than at any time since the 1960s, with 70 per cent public approval,” said the Labor Notes, an organisation and network for rank-and-file union members and grassroots activists.

In addition, economic conditions played a crucial role in driving labour actions. The unemployment rate remained low, giving workers more leverage in negotiations.

The rise of remote work and concerns about technological displacement have added new dimensions to labour negotiations as workers seek protection against job losses due to automation and artificial intelligence advancement. These issues have become particularly pressing in industries undergoing rapid technological transformation.

This was especially evident in the recent port workers’ dispute, where automation became a central issue. The ILA said automation at ports would cost some members their jobs.

Besides, reform movements in labour unions have also led to effective strike threats.

With a January 15 deadline looming to resolve the automation dispute at East and Gulf Coast ports, tensions remain high, raising the possibility of another significant port disruption in the new year.

–IANS

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