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10,000 Deere & Company union employees on strike after failed negotiations

Deere & Company and its union employees have failed to finalize a labor agreement and more than 10,000 employees went on strike Thursday morning.

The local 281 United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America’s (UAW) Union says talks stalled just before midnight Wednesday over a six-year deal that would’ve raised wages by 20 percent and increased some benefits. But, union employees say the agreement doesn’t go far enough because of John Deere’s ‘record profits.’

Deere & Company says they remain committed to working with union representatives to reach an agreement, while employees say they plan to picket for 24 hours a day, seven days a week until an agreement is reached. The company’s website says they’ve activated a contingency plan to meet customer needs.

Neither side indicated when a deal would be struck and workers head back to the plants.

The strike affects factories in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas and is the first major strike since 1986 that lasted 163 days.