Strikes take place for a limited period of time—a day or a few hours— at the beginning of bargaining. The strike is arranged in advance with management and is not intended to seriously disrupt production. Workers wear colorful headbands and carry signs as they march around the worksite. This type of ritual strike is meant to produce a show of force by workers in support of their bargaining demands. It also helps the workers break free of their normal cooperative relationship with management. Strikes of indefinite duration occur only if negotiations with the employer have completely broken down. Since the 1980s the number of labor disputes has steadily declined.