Recession caused large drop in labor disputes

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2012/03/recession-caused-large-drop-in.html

The Business Journals by G. Scott Thomas
Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 1:00am EDT

History suggests that management and organized labor are less combative when the economy turns sour.

New figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics prove the point.

Fifty major strikes and lockouts occurred at American corporations during the four-year economic downturn (2008-2011). That was 38 percent below the total of 80 major work stoppages in the previous four-year span (2004-2007), a period characterized by slow economic expansion.

The difference was even greater when the impact of those labor actions was tabulated. Major work stoppages caused the loss of 3.40 million workdays between 2008 and 2011. That was 62 percent less than the corresponding loss of 9.03 million workdays in the 2004-2007 span.

FULL story at link.