Starbucks, Education Strikes Fuel 17-Year High in Work Stoppages

US labor unions engaged in the most work stoppages last year since 2005, with education services workers accounting for three out of every five employees involved, according to Bloomberg Law data.

Retail was the most active industry for work stoppages, with 125 strikes out of the 314 overall. Starbucks Inc. alone faced at least 107 strikes. But even without the walkouts at the coffee retailer, as unions focused on organizing its local stores, last year was still a record setting year for worker actions, according to Bloomberg Law analyst Robert Combs.

Manufacturing and health care were two other sectors that ...