1945 Ford strike | ||||
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Date | 12 September 1945 – 19 December 1945 | |||
Location | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | |||
Caused by | Layoffs, unequal treatment of workers in American and Canadian plants | |||
Methods | Strike, picket line | |||
Resulted in | Full recognition of the UAW | |||
Parties | ||||
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Lead figures | ||||
Roy England | ||||
Number | ||||
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The 99-day Ford strike of 1945 took place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, from September 12, 1945, to December 19, 1945.[1] Although several union demands were contentious issues, the two main demands of the UAW Local 200 were "union shop and checkoff," which became a rallying cry for the strikers.[2] Negotiations for a new contract had spanned 18 months and officially ended with the exodus of Ford workers at 10 a.m. on the morning of September 12.[3] The strike included picketing and eventually led to a two-day blockade of vehicles surrounding the Ford plant on November 5.[4]
The strike ended on December 19 as both sides agreed to a temporary agreement proposal, while arbitration regarding the implementation of a fully unionized shop and medical coverage continued under Justice Ivan C. Rand.[5] His report was released on January 29, 1946.[6] The Rand Formula, as it became known, was one result of his report. This gave the UAW formal recognition as the sole negotiators representing all employees of Ford Motor Company.[6] This changed both collective bargaining and labour relations by legitimizing unions.[7]