Healthcare remains a focal point for work stoppages, despite a broader national decline, as hospital and health system employees continue to cite pay and staffing concerns.
Union activity in 2026 has already seen notable labor actions, such as the largest nurses strike in New York City history and an open-ended walkout by 31,000 United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals members at Kaiser Permanente facilities. In total, Becker’s has reported on nearly a dozen strikes since the beginning of 2026 and nearly 40 in 2025.
New data, released Feb. 18, from the Labor Action Tracker’s “Annual Report 2025,” published by Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the University of Illinois’ School of Labor and Employment Relations, show a substantial increase in work stoppages in the healthcare and social assistance sector from 2024 to 2025. The tracker compiles publicly reported strikes and lockouts using verified media, database and social media sources.
The report found that, while overall U.S. work stoppages declined nearly 16% over the past year, healthcare and social assistance saw a 58.3% increase in work stoppages and a 151.9% increase in the number of workers involved during the same period — the largest increase of any industry.
The report also found that healthcare and social assistance work stoppages increased from 36 involving 46,369 workers in 2024 to 57 involving 116,826 workers in 2025. The industry accounted for 40.3% of all striking workers, ahead of public administration at 29.6%, and ranked first in strike days with 1,213,703 — nearly double manufacturing’s 684,773.
Across all industries, the top reasons for work stoppages were pay (195), followed by first-contract negotiations (70) and healthcare benefits (66).
Healthcare strikes in 2025 were largely driven by pay and staffing concerns, Johnnie Kallas, PhD, who launched the Labor Action Tracker in 2021 and is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations, told Becker’s. Of the 54 strikes that began in 2025, staffing was a major demand in 34 and pay in 32.
“This is also important because strikes declined broadly in 2025 but increased considerably in healthcare,” Dr. Kallas said. “The number of strikes increased by 58.3%, and the number of workers involved in healthcare strikes increased by 151.9% from 2024 to 2025.”
“Healthcare workers continue to face inflationary pressures and a lack of respect on the job, while hospitals face financial pressures tied to inadequate reimbursement rates from public and private payers,” he added.
Hospital executives have described that same dynamic as a delicate balancing act. Greg Till, chief people officer of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, told Becker’s in October that systems are trying to “thread the needle” between managing tighter budgets and addressing rising labor costs and workforce expectations.
“We want to ensure we offer market-competitive pay and benefits for our caregivers while preparing for the financial pressures ahead,” Mr. Till said.
Dr. Kallas said early evidence from 2026 suggests the trend may continue, pointing to 15,000 New York State Nurses Association nurses in New York City and 31,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers along the West Coast who have walked off the job this year.
As of Feb. 18, nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside and West have ratified new three-year contracts covering about 10,500 nurses across those systems. Roughly 4,200 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian remain on strike, and the Kaiser Permanente strike that began Jan. 26 remains ongoing.
Dr. Kallas noted another major distinction with the recent actions: several have been open-ended rather than of a fixed duration.
“Most healthcare strikes are of a fixed duration,” he said. “The fact that we’re seeing more open-ended strikes indicates that workers are ready to fight for strong contracts despite a more hostile political environment for organized labor.”
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