Inco strike (1978)
| 1978 INCO strike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 15 September 1978 - 7 June 1979 | ||
| Location | Sudbury area, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Causes | Attempted pay cut and layoff by management | ||
| Methods | Strike, picket lines | ||
| Result | Victory for workers, new contract signed | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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| Number | |||
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The INCO strike of 1978 (locally referred to as the Sudbury Strike of 1978) was a strike by workers at INCO's operations in Sudbury, Ontario, which lasted from 15 September 1978 until 7 June 1979. It was the longest strike in INCO or Sudbury history until the strike of 2009-10, and at the time broke the record for the longest strike in Canada.[2] It has been noted as one of the most important labour disputes in Canadian history.[3]
Overview
The conflict was caused by proposed layoffs and cuts to pay and benefits by INCO management, with low nickel prices as a justification.[4][5]
Around 11,600 workers were involved in the strike, which affected the wages sustaining 43,000 people, or about 26% of the population of metropolitan Sudbury.[1]
Community support for the union was strong, with local politicians such as future mayor and then-Member of Parliament John Rodriguez as well as other New Democrats vocally supporting the strikers.[6] A major role was played by women's support committees, which had also existed during the 1958 strike.[7]
Aftermath
Concessions won as a result of the strike included INCO's "thirty-and-out" policy, whereby workers with thirty years at the company could retire with a full pension, regardless of age.[5]
A study on alcohol consumption showed that over 35% of strikers and over 40% of their wives reportedly stopped drinking alcohol or drank dramatically less during the course of the strike, while a small minority drank much more, hypothesized as being stress-induced. Overall, alcohol sales declined by 10% during the strike as compared to the previous winter, likely due to economic reasons.[1] This effect was mirrored in the rest of the local economy, which was catastrophically affected. It would later play a critical role in spurring new economic development efforts in the city into the 1980s and 1990s.
References
- 1 2 3 Giesbrecht, Norman; Markle, Glen; Macdonald, Scott (March 1982). "The 1978-79 INCO Workers' Strike in the Sudbury Basin and Its Impact on Alcohol Consumption and Drinking Patterns". Journal of Public Health Policy (Palgrave Macmillan) 3 (1): 22–38. doi:10.2307/3342064.
- ↑ Owram, Kristine (6 April 2010). "Vale Inco strike longest in company history". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ↑ Steven, Peter (December 1981). "Interview with Sudbury Strike filmmakers". Jump Cut. ISSN 0146-5546. OCLC 613432664. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ↑ "Canada’s biggest strikes". CanadianManufacturing.com. Annex Business Media. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- 1 2 Ulrichsen, Heidi (15 December 2009). "Passing on lessons from the 1978-79 Inco strike". Sudbury.com. Laurentian Publishing. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ↑ "Inco uses helicopters in Sudbury as battle over pickets continues". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). 19 September 1978. p. 8.
- ↑ Iacovetta, Franca (Fall 2003). "Brothers and Sisters: Gender and the Labour Movement, a Feminist Labour Studies Conference at the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, Hamilton, May 2002". Labour/Le Travail (Canadian Committee on Labour History) 52: 364–367. doi:10.2307/25149438.