10,000 workers are on strike at John Deere facilities in 14 states. Deere & Co. rejected a contract agreement presented by the United Auto Workers this week.
John Deere hasn’t seen a strike of this scale in 35 years. With harvest in full swing, this strike is worrisome for the farmers in the fields.
“We know negotiations are on-going, and we hope it’s a win-win outcome,” says Jason Pickerill, turf sales and marketing director for Hutson Inc. “At Hutson’s, it’s business as usual with inventory of most parts and equipment.”
Pickerill also says that their service technicians at 29 locations in four states are working around the clock for farmers to continue harvesting without interruptions.
“We want our customers to know what we can do by focusing on what we can control,” he says. “We’ve made a significant amount of investments in employees, trucks, equipment, tools and buildings in Michigan to keep farmers rolling.”
That sentiment is echoed by Michigan-based Greenmark Equipment. In an emailed statement to Michigan Ag Today, CEO Ken Timmerman stated the following:
“We are still able to order and receive parts from the Deere distribution warehouses. We also transfer parts from our huge parts inventory at our 17 locations, with a daily transportation system. We are confident on providing what it takes to get through the busy harvest season.”