Deere & Co. workers go on strike after rejecting contract
“Thirty-five years have passed since the last major Deere strike, but workers were emboldened to demand more this year after working long hours throughout the pandemic and because companies are facing worker shortages.
‘Our members at John Deere strike for the ability to earn a decent living, retire with dignity and establish fair work rules,’ said Chuck Browning, vice president and director of the UAW’s Agricultural Implement Department. ‘We stay committed to bargaining until our members’ goals are achieved.’
Chris Laursen, who works as a painter at Deere, told the Des Moines Register before the strike that it could make a significant difference.
‘The whole nation’s going to be watching us,’ Laursen said to the newspaper. ‘If we take a stand here for ourselves, our families, for basic human prosperity, it’s going to make a difference for the whole manufacturing industry. Let’s do it. Let’s not be intimidated.'”