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

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five of its unions are embroiled in a contract dispute that could trigger the railroad's first work stoppage in more than 30 years. —Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 8 May 2026

The zookeepers’ contract, according to the lawsuit, states that management personnel at the zoo may step in to provide animal care during a work stoppage. —Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026

This includes soaring gas prices at the pump, seesawing stock markets, rising food and fertilizer prices, higher shipping-insurance costs, and fuel shortages that have touched off violence, work stoppages, and profiteering in parts of Asia and Africa. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026

Remember, these are the types of payrolls that sports media, small-market teams and fans have used to push for a work stoppage in the 2027 season and the introduction of a salary cap. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 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.”