work stoppage

noun

: concerted cessation of work by a group of employees usually more spontaneous and less serious than a strike

Examples of work stoppage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hundreds of teachers in southeast Los Angeles County went on strike Thursday in the Little Lake City School District, marking the first teacher work stoppage in the district’s 150-year history. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026

Lufthansa pilots conduct two-day work stoppage With fuel prices making a dent in overall air capacity, the problem is exacerbated by a pilots’ strike at Lufthansa that began Monday morning and will continue through Tuesday night. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2026

Members delivered an overwhelming strike pledge then followed through with the first CBS News work stoppage in decades. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026

That three-union pact also means a strike or some type of work stoppage remains in play if the district fails to reach agreements with the other two. —City News Service, Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

work stoppage

noun

: a cessation of work by employees as a job action

Note: Work stoppage is often used to refer to a cessation of work that is less serious and more spontaneous than one referred to as a strike. As used in the Labor Management Relations Act strike refers to “any…concerted stoppage of work by employees…and any concerted slowdown or other concerted interruption of operations by employees.”