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

There had been a fear coming into the week that the players might cause a work stoppage that would have postponed the season-opening game. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026

During baseball’s 99-day work stoppage during the 2021-22 offseason, May — then a member of the Mets — was critical of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on a livestream. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile, the Writers Guild Staff Union said in January that 82% of its membership voted to authorize a work stoppage, accusing guild management of bad faith bargaining. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026

The cooling down in labor tensions comes even as other Kaiser workers pursue work stoppages. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 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.”