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

Even if the case proceeds, most of the East Wing has already been torn down, making a work stoppage largely symbolic. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

In late May, the majority of bar advocates — private attorneys contracted by the state to represent criminal defendants — at the district court level in Middlesex and Suffolk counties instituted a work stoppage citing low pay and unsustainable work loads. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

This has been seen when pro leagues and players’ associations litigate against each other during work stoppages caused by breakdowns in labor relations. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025

But these workers walked off the job entirely on Tuesday when its union, the Professional Association of Maritime and Inland Pilots (BVL), joined multiple other unions in a national work stoppage that also grounded most airplanes at the country’s two main airports. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025

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.”