Earlier this month, members of United Auto Workers (UAW) locals across Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas approved a strike authorization vote by a 99 percent margin amid contract negotiations with the John Deere manufacturing company, as reported by Labor Notes. The current contract, which has been in place for six years, is set to expire at midnight of September 30.

A strike, which will likely start in the first half of October if John Deere and UAW are not able to come to an agreement, would have major implications for the manufacturing company. With harvest season around the corner, it would also impact the agriculture industry writ large. This year shows record high demand for durable goods, a shortage in labor, and a massive backlog in production, further complicating things for the leading agricultural equipment manufacturing company.

Negotiations are ongoing and it’s unclear whether the strike will happen, but workers are still preparing for a fight. Former UAW Local 74 president Chris Laursen said that John Deere workers “share one thing in common: Everybody knows that Deere owes us a better contract. Everybody knows that Deere is going to have to pony up if they want to create a viable workforce to create shareholder profit, which is their main interest.”