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 airline plans to more or less shut down if its pilots do a work stoppage as union negotiations come to a head. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 10 Sep. 2024

Boeing cannot afford work stoppage Announcing the tentative deal, Boeing has promised to deepen its commitment to the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of the scandals. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 9 Sep. 2024

The union called a work stoppage against 10 of the major game developers in July, when more than 18 months of negotiations came to a screeching halt over AI. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024

This time, the union is calling a work stoppage against the major video game companies after nearly two years of trying to renegotiate its Interactive Media Agreement. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 25 July 2024

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.”