CASAW Wildcat Strike, Kitimat, Plaque
This bronze plaque is located at the Unifor Local 2301 office at 235 Enterprise Ave, Kitimat, BC It was developed with the support of Unifor Local 2301 and the Kitimat, Terrace and District Labour Council.
The plaque was cast at Ornamental Bronze, a unionized foundry in Richmond which has operated since 1928. It was unveiled on November 17, 2016.
This is one of many Plaques around the Province, a project of the BC Labour Heritage Centre which aims to recognize events, actions, episodes, movements, or experiences that played a significant role in the history of the labour movement and working people in all regions of British Columbia.
CASAW Wildcat Strike
The plaque reads: On June 3, 1976, members of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers Union stormed off the job at Alcan in Kitimat. Their wildcat strike was a protest against the federal government’s wage controls program, which restricted collective bargaining and rolled back workers’ negotiated wage contracts. A raid on the picket line by police in full riot gear led to arrests of union leaders and the threat of fines and legal action. The 18-day walkout was a galvanizing event in labour’s campaign against the program, which culminated in the Day of Protest against Wage Controls on October 14, 1976, when one million workers walked out across the country. BC Labour Heritage Centre 2016 Union Made Kitimat, Terrace & District Labour Council and UNIFOR 2301