Jay hormel was a masterful manager and a gambler in the true capitalist sense. The 198586 hormel strike was a labor strike that involved approximately 1,500 workers of the hormel meatpacking plant in austin, minnesota in the united states. On august 17, 1985, about 1,500 hormel foods corporation workers went on strike at the meatprocessing plant at the companys headquarters in austin, minnesota. As labor historian peter rachleff writes in his book hardpressed in the heartland, both the ufcw and the aflcio knew that local p9 represented a dangerous example for. May 05, 2020 the strike ended unsuccessfully for the members of the local p9 union in june 1986 after 10 months. Joe burns has written an important book, stressing through a series of examples the importance of.
See the bibliography for a list of additional books on the iconic strike. The hormel strike at austin, minnesota 218 appendix b. For more information, contact your hormel health labs sales representative. Journal of retailing this book will strike chords deep in. Olson, however, had requested and received from the state legislature a law making the use of injunctions illegal in labor disputes. For the 1,500 p9 families and their supporters, it was nothing less than a crusade to defend the middle. You can access this textbook for free in web view or pdf through, and for a low cost in. Members of united food and commercial workers ufcw local p9 at the austin, minnesota, hormel meatpacking plant could not have known then what was in store for them. Photos from the hormel strike in austin in the 80s, hormel felt pressure to remain competitive in the meatpacking industry. Hormel hired new workers, mostly single mexican men, ushering in a new era for labor and big demographic changes for austin, minnesota. The psychodynamics of everyday life and the psychology of. He told hormel officials that he would be willing to mediate between the local and the company. Police tear gas strikes at the hormel plant in austin, minnesota, desperatresist corporate givebacks and their own union that saw the fight as hopeless.
Nov 11, 2008 november 10th, the hormel meatpackers strike of 1933 i apologize for the untimely post. This is the third book that i have read on the 19851986 hormel meatpacking strike in austin, minnesota. After the iuaw went on strike against hormel in 33, the company attempted to start up a sheep kill with scabs. Had the strike occurred only a few months earlier, hormel might have sought an injunction against the strikers and the union could have been broken. Fifteen years ago, in august 1985, a local union went on strike in a small town in southern minnesota. Jul 21, 2014 had the strike occurred only a few months earlier, hormel might have sought an injunction against the strikers and the union could have been broken. May 05, 2020 women, community, and the hormel strike of 198586, by neala j. We proudly support the iddsi initiative intended to improve the lives of those with dysphagia. Peter winkels, a hormel strike leader, 19482017 labor notes. Topics covered include the iron range strikes of 1906 and 1917, the hormel strike of 1933, the minneapolis truckers strike of 1934, the industrial workers of the world and other early unions. In the trough of the great depression, he bet americans would buy into the idea of lowcost canned dinners. When the company demanded a 23 percent wage cut, on august 17, 1985, about 1,500 workers with the united food and commercial workers union, local p9, in austin walked off the job.
Jun 03, 2015 popular hormel meatpackers strike e book. Aug 12, 2019 on august 17, 1985, about 1,500 hormel foods corporation workers went on strike at the meatprocessing plant at the companys headquarters in austin, minnesota. This book contributes to the investigation of organizational conflict by analyzing its. The 1985 1986 hormel meat packers strike in austin, minnesota by fred halstead. On strike leaders gone a few steps fur january 1986, the company tried to just ther, hormel would have had to find a reopen the struck plant. Table of contents foreword to the reissued edition peter rachleff pp. Pickets at the hormel plant in austin sometimes clashed with national guard members who. The hormel strike and the future of the labor movement. Jacksons appearance in austin electrified the town and kept the strike in the national spotlight. Peter winkels, the former business agent for food and commercial workers ufcw local p9which gained worldwide fame for its 1980s strike against the highly profitable hormel co. A comparison of the hormel strike of 19851986 usa and the volkswagen strike of 2000 south africa. The struggle for a democratic labor movement packing it in the.
The cause in the sixmonth strike of 1,000 meatpackers against the george a. The austin strike was far from an ordinary labor dispute. Minnesotas childrens theater company will present a play inspired by littletold stories of the wrenching hormel strike. This book, however, provides the most unique view of that strike of each of the three books. Oct 06, 1990 directed by barbara kopple, cathy caplan, thomas haneke. The 19851986 strike by local p9 at hormel s austin, minnesota, plant was the most visible of a wave of local meatpacking strikes during the 1980s that sought, unsuccessfully, to halt the unraveling of unionism in that industry.
Aug 21, 2010 peter rachleff is a professor of history at macalester college in saint paul, minnesota. At that point, four hundred men, many of them armed with clubs, sticks and rocks, crashed through the plant entrance, shattering the glass doors and sweeping the guards before them. Spamtown, usa looks at a bitter strike through childrens eyes. In 19851987, he served as chairperson of the twin cities local p9 support committee, and in 1993 south end press published his book on the strike, hardpressed in the heartland. November 10th, the hormel meatpackers strike of 1933. A balance sheet of the militant struggle against hormel, by jake cooper. Chronicles the sixmonth strike at hormel in austin, minnesota, in 198586. In the book no retreat, no surrender, a study of the austin strike, dave hage and paul klauda quote a former official. Jul 11, 2015 the local p9 went on strike in austin 30 years ago to demand better wages, safety regulations and benefits. P9 strikers form a picket line outside hormel during the 1985 strike. Labor movement, which was originally published by temple in 1990. Because of the worker s strike, the plant was shut down.
The new contract was signed by all the unions at all other hormel plants, except the one in austin, and hence the strike. Avaliable format in pdf, epub, mobi, kindle, e book and audiobook. There was conflicting information about this strike, as it lasted for three days, from november 10th, 1933 to november th, and some listings suggested it started on the th. This program examines the formative years of the modern labor movement in minnesota. History of the hormel meatpackers strike the current. Penguin books south africa pty ltd, 24 sturdee avenue, rosebank, johannesburg 2196, south africa. The spam factorys dirty secret western washington university. Read or download the 1985 1986 hormel meat packers strike in austin, minnesota book by fred halstead. In 198586, recruited by friends and colleagues, i spent numerous hours outside twin cities supermarkets and in austin, trying to persuade shoppers to boycott hormel. The strikers, members of united food and commercial workers local p9, cited a wage freeze, dangerous working conditions, and a wage cut as the reasons for the strike, which continued for thirteen months. Feb 15, 1986 as in any strike, the sixmonth struggle at the geo. The battle by members of united food and commercial workers ufcw local p9 marked a break in the rout of the labor movement in the united states of the early 1980s, as one union after another had accepted the.
In december of 1984, the members of united food and commercial workers ufcw local p9 initiated a campaign against wage and benefit concessions at geo. Hormel opens the new plant and decides to terminate the 1933 agreement. Winkels, who had suffered from diabetes and other illnesses, was 69. The strike had not yet been settled when the management at the. The 198586 hormel strike was a labor strike that involved approximately 1,500 workers of the. Hormel ceo richard knowlton in his book points of difference. I was born and raised on a farm in le roy, minnesota.
Books split across multiple pdf files should include the current and total number of files before the filename extension in this format. Hormel chili 11, dinty moore stew 12, and spam were born. The 198586 hormel strike was a labor strike that involved approximately 1,400 workers of the hormel meatpacking plant in austin, minnesota in the united states. Petey was a secondgeneration hormel worker, employed during the early 1980s in the boning room at the companys. American dream charts labors loss the new york times. The first section contains a brief but wellconceived analysis of labor history, including an over view of the rise and decline. Overview hormel p9 union strike of 1985 libguides at. Managing conflict in organizations fourth edition pdf squarespace. In this brief book, rachleff black labor in richmond, 18651890, who chaired a committee supporting the 19851986 strike against the hormel co. Nevertheless, by spring 1986, hormel had proclaimed victoryand the strikers unsympathetic international union brought an end to the strike by placing the local in receivership. Petas human meat tray protest at torontos quality meat. Jackson spoke at a rally for over and repeated the comparison of p9 to the civil rights movement.
Aug 09, 2010 stiehm and others say one of the catalysts for change began on a hot summer day 25 years ago, when workers at the hormel plant went on strike. The strike would be the subject of discussion and books by several noted labor historians, such as kim. The strike, beginning august 17, 1985 and lasting until september of the following year, is considered one of the longest strikes in minnesota history and ended in failure for the striking workers. A strike lasting over one and onehalf years, the creation of mass picket lines at hormel, the deployment of national guard. The hormel strike and the future of the labor movement joe burns shows us how badly employers needed to outlaw solidarity and the drastic consequences for. Women, community, and the hormel strike of 198586neala schleuning 1994 an. Penguin books india pvt ltd, 11 community centre, panchsheel park, new delhi110 017, india penguin group nz, 67 apollo drive, rosedale, north shore 0745, auckland, new zealand a division of pearson new zealand ltd.
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