Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Major work stoppages idle fewer workers
San Jose Mercury
About 70,000 workers missed days on the job because of labor disputes last year, only about one-fourth as many as a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The change reflects the more powerful position of employers, high anxiety among workers and new labor strategies, according to labor veterans and analysts.
The number of those who missed days because of work stoppages was 273,000 in 1996 and had grown to 394,000 by 2000.
'Employers have a much stronger hand in the workplace,' said Stewart Acuff, organizing director at the AFL-CIO. 'People are afraid to strike and afraid to join unions' because of the imbalance of power.
About 70,000 workers missed days on the job because of labor disputes last year, only about one-fourth as many as a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The change reflects the more powerful position of employers, high anxiety among workers and new labor strategies, according to labor veterans and analysts.
The number of those who missed days because of work stoppages was 273,000 in 1996 and had grown to 394,000 by 2000.
'Employers have a much stronger hand in the workplace,' said Stewart Acuff, organizing director at the AFL-CIO. 'People are afraid to strike and afraid to join unions' because of the imbalance of power.
