The Greyhound Bus Lines Strike of 1983 in Seattle was part of a nationwide seven-week-long strike of the members of the Amalgamated Transit Union working for Greyhound Bus Lines.^[1] In Seattle, 175 drivers and terminal workers who were represented by ATU locals 1384 and 1055 walked off the job at 11pm on November 2, 1983. In total, more than 70 daily incoming and outgoing trips were cancelled in Seattle.^[2]

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Several significant events acted as compounding catalysts for the strike of 1983. Among them were a series of federal deregulations of the transportation industry in the 1970s and 80's and an increase in competition from Greyhound's main competitor Trailways as well as from smaller newer market entries.

During the strike, rural towns, like the city of Ephrata, in Eastern Washington were hardest hit by the Seattle strike because there were no alternative forms of public transportation.^[12] Shortly after the strike began, Greyhound Bus Lines announced that it would drop service to 1325 rural communities nationwide and in Washington state; by December 2, 1983, 4 rural bus routes were cancelled. The routes were Olympia to Toledo, Vancouver to Maryhill, Colfax to Rosalia and Ephrata to Spokane. Earlier in the year the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission had denied requests stating that the affected communities did not have meaningful alternatives to Greyhound Bus Services. After deregulation of the industry, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved reduction of service to these areas.^[13]

The day after the strike began, about 20,000 people went to Greyhound offices around the country to replace the 12,500 striking ATU workers.^[14] Over the course of three days, 500 applications were submitted in Seattle alone.^[15] During this time, Trailways, Greyhound's competitor, had an 800 percent increase in bus business in Seattle alone. By November 17, 1983 Greyhound buses were rolling again from the Seattle terminal.^[16]

The strike signaled the start of a slow decline of the bus industry in general and Greyhound specifically. 1984 was marked by 1500 layoffs, and the year afterwards Greyhound sold 120 terminals and laid off an additional 2000 employees. Many of its routes were then franchised to smaller competitors. After acquiring Trailways and absorbing 1400 of their employees, a round of negotiations in 1989 ended with another strike in June 1990. More violent than the last, the strike of 1990 saw shootings and bomb threats and the death of a picketer. This strike lasted until 1993.