This time around, the workers have been vocal about being ready to hit Deere with a strike. They are tired of stagnant wages, tiered pay scales — where newer workers make less than those with higher seniority — and frequent layoffs. The last six-year contract in 2015 was nearly voted down, and it failed at two out of nine plants because the small pay raise was eaten up by higher health insurance costs.
In addition, grievances are piling up over the company’s refusal to pay a contractual bonus for making production quotas — even though workers are not supposed to be penalized for situations outside their control, such as frequent parts shortages because COVID disrupted suppliers’ production.