1005

de Bill Freeman

In Canada's turbulent labour relations history, few players are more prominent than Steelworkers Local 1005 at Stelco in Hamilton. The battle from 1919 to 1944 to establish a union in the face of hostile management. The 1946 strike, in which Stelco, under "siege" by land, air and sea (The Whisper), became a focus for the postwar showdown between the labour movement and a Liberal government determined to keep wages down. The chaotic 1966 wildcat strike that tore the union apart as the leadership defended the labour relations system and fought with members determined to improve their lot.