MOLINE, Ill.– About 10,000 workers went on strike against maker John Deere at its11 factories in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, and three distribution centers in Georgia, Illinois and Colorado. The strike represented new labor bravado as the economy tips in workers’ favor. The United Auto Workers union and John Deere negotiators had agreed two weeks ago to immediate 5% pay hikes and 20% over the six years. Union members, however, rejected the deal by 90%. Deere workers average $60,000. Meanwhile, because f the Covid-depleted workforce, Deere cannot keep up with global orders for its farm and construction equipment. Other new strikes as tables turn in employer-worker relations:
> 60,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees against the entertainment industry.
> 1,400 members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union against the Kellogg cereal and food-processing company.
John Deere sales. St. Charles dealership has 30 employees. Owned by Grand Meadow-based South East Minnesota Agriculture, SEMA for snort, which also has retail outlets built around John Deere products in Caledonia, Grand Meadow, Northfield and Wanamingo. Is product supply at risk if factory production falters long?