This week, Joe Biden made history by becoming the first sitting US president to join a picket line when he met with workers represented by the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) in Michigan. The UAW has recently expanded its industrial action against GM and Stellantis to 38 parts distribution centers across America, and around 18,000 workers have walked out to date.

In echoes of its historic industrial action in 1945, the UAW is seeking a 36% pay rise for its workers over four years and a 32-hour working week. 

For centuries, workers in America have used collective bargaining to improve pay and employment conditions, with varying degrees of success. In fact, the first documented walkout on US soil, the Jamestown Polish Craftsmen's Strike, took place all the way back in 1619.

Read on to discover the stories behind the biggest strikes in American history, ordered by the number of workers who took part, and see where the current Hollywood strike ranks in the country’s biggest walkouts.