10,000 John Deere workers are on strike, demanding fair pay and benefits.

In 2020, John Deere’s CEO, John May received a 160% salary increase in the same year the company netted $2.75 billion in profit. This year, Deere is expected to make between $5.7 and $5.9 billion in revenue.

For more than 110 years, John Deere has employed multiple generations of Iowans in Ottumwa. But, in 1997, Deere divided its workforce into 2 tiers where new hires got paid less, didn’t receive healthcare after retirement and received a pension about one-third that of their predecessors. Now, the company wants to end the pension program entirely for new hires. The workers who are striking today are fighting to ensure that their children have the same opportunities that they have.

In a year when John Deere increased prices on its products by 8%, citing inflation, and when the CEO has seen his pay skyrocket, John Deere workers deserve compensation that reflects the product of their work.

Watch More Perfect Union’s reporting above then sign the petition demanding John Deere pay all of its workers a fair wage with benefits, including health and retirement.

To: JOHN DEERE

At a time when John Deere is making record profits while simultaneously increasing the prices of its products, your current and future employees deserve fair pay with benefits, including retirement benefits. The contract offer of a $2 raise over 3 years -- rejected by 9 out of 10 John Deere employees -- doesn’t reflect the dedication of your employees. Pay your employees a fair wage with benefits!