Photo: Rebecca Montag
(Ankeny, IA) -- Over 10,000 John Deere workers across the Midwest are on strike as John Deere and the United Auto Workers union were unable come to an agreement before the Wednesday night deadline. United Auto Workers union members rejected a new labor contract over the weekend and union leaders failed to come to an agreement with the company before the midnight strike deadline. Deere workers haven't been on strike since 1986, a strike that lasted several months. In Iowa, the strike effects John Deere operations in Ankeny, Waterloo, Davenport, Dubuque, and Ottumwa. Union members have been pushing for higher pay and better benefits.