These are the 25 companies where workers went on strike during a season of labor unrest and worker activism
- Thousands of people at 25 companies including Chipotle and American Airlines went on strike this fall.
- This fall was marked by a revitalized labor movement and workers flexing their power in the workplace.
Amid a national labor shortage and waves of resignations, discontent among tens of thousands of Americans crested into a rush of strikes, walk-outs, and protests this fall as workers flexed their strength and demanded changes from their employers.
From September to November, workers at more than 25 companies manned picket lines, banged on upturned buckets, and chanted during campaigns for everything from higher wages to safer working conditions.
- Kellogg's. Around 1,400 workers at the company's cereal plants have been on strike since October over what they say is an unfair pay and benefits system. "We're going to hold our lines throughout the dead of the winter if we have to,"Dan Osborn, a striking Kellogg's worker told Insider's Juliana Kaplan. "We worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day through COVID to get Kellogg's to earn their record profits."
- Nabisco. The maker of Oreos, Ritz crackers, and Triscuits faced a 40-day strike by 1,000 workers — a movement that ultimately won employees $5,000 bonuses and annual raises and boosted contributions to employees' 401(k) accounts.
- Gopuff. Drivers and warehouse workers at the $15 billion snack delivery company's busiest warehouses in Philadelphia blocked access points to the facility over pay errors and reduced pay.
- Chipotle. Chipotle employees in New York City fought for better working conditions by protesting against the chain's "Boorito" promotion, where burritos ordered online were discounted by $5. A holiday BOGO deal in July had caused chaos in Chipotle locations across the country, and workers used the Halloween promotion to advocate against overwork, abrupt schedule changes, and cutting hours.
- John Deere. The monthlong strike held by hundreds of John Deere employees ended in a modest win for employees, with the union securing additional bonuses, tweaks to a system used to calculate bonuses, and the preservation of a health insurance program that didn't require workers to pay premiums.
- Activision Blizzard. Employees at the video game giant staged two walkouts over claims of harassment and pay inequity and demanded that the embattled CEO, Bobby Kotick, resign amid claims that he was aware of the sexual harassment and rape allegations for years.
- McDonald's. The fast food giant's employees in ten different cities planned a one-day strike to protest "rampant sexual harassment" in stores. The strikes were organized by the advocacy group Fight for $15 after a McDonald's manager in Pittsburgh was charged with the rape of a 14-year-old female worker.
- American Airlines. Flight attendants at Piedmont Airlines, one of American Airlines' largest regional carriers unanimously voted to strike over high health premiums and low pay compared to mainline flight attendants, Insider's Taylor Rains reported.
- Netflix. Trans Netflix employees staged a company-wide walkout on Oct. 20 after Netflix's co-CEO defended Dave Chappelle's Netflix special, where the comedian made transphobic jokes.
- General Electric. Over 200 GE employees walked out of a Schenectady, New York, plant on Oct. 24, in protest of the company's vaccine mandate.
- Kaiser Permanente. 60,000 of the healthcare company's nurses and healthcare workers went on a sympathy strike on Thursday and Friday to support the 700 stationary and biomedical engineers who have been striking for months for better pay.
- Special Metals. 450 steelworkers have been on the picket line for over a month in their strike over a contract that offered pay cuts and higher healthcare premiums. As the strike drags on, many have had to take on second jobs and fall back on donations from the community.
- Warrior Met Coal. A seven month-long strike by thousands of miners over unfair labor practices has cost the company $6.9 million.
- ArcelorMittal. 500 workers at the multinational steel company walked out on Nov. 1 over stagnating pension growth, a seven-day work week, and rising premiums.
- Heaven Hill. 400 employees at the bourbon and spirit distillery secured increases in wages and company contributions to employees' health care plans, as well as a 40-hour cap on the working hours per week after a six-week long strike.
- Workers at 10 different healthcare companies. Thousands of healthcare workers across the country staged strikes this fall over issues ranging from staffing to dangerous working conditions.