"The way I see it," said Owen Bray, who mounts tires and has 14 years seniority, "we didn’t lose our jobs, and we gave no concessions. And the fight’s not over. We’ll be at it again in two years. We’re stronger now because of the strike."

Many of the workers displayed the determination and militancy that marked their struggle by wearing their black strike T-shirts to work. The tension was palpable. The supervisors did not speak to workers unless spoken to. During the strike the supervisors attempted to maintain production of the big rigs crossing picket lines each day in buses.

Workers expressed anger when they learned that each supervisor got a bonus of $850 a week over the course of the strike for crossing the line to work in the plant. This was compounded by a "welcome back" letter from the bosses that hypocritically stated that the "bigger challenge than getting the plant running again is the challenge of rebuilding trust. That won’t happen overnight for any of us. But we urge everyone to make the effort."

"Management has lost all credibility," said Bray. "The bonus was the final drop of the shoe."

During the first week back homemade signs appeared at workstations around the plant commenting on the company’s disrespect for the workers. One had the word "respect" in a circle with a line through it with the comment "you locked us out for six weeks--Y?" At another workstation a worker had hung up a plastic bag filled with shredded paper with the words "Navistar’s new accounting system" written on it. At least one reply to the company "welcome back" letter was written by a worker and circulated around the plant.

The strike began June 1 despite company threats to close the plant and move the work to its facility in Mexico. It ended at a ratification meeting July 15. Eighty-one percent of the votes cast supported the agreement.

All the demands by the Navistar bosses for concessions by the workers were defeated. These included a $4-an-hour wage cut for production workers and a $6-an-hour cut for the skilled trades; a standard 56-hour workweek instead of 39.5; a reduction in vacations for the most senior workers; increased payments by workers for benefits; an increase in mandatory overtime and massive changes to contract language wrapped up in a seven-year term.

The new contract is for two years. There are no wage increases but a cost-of-living clause is included. The company agreed that there will be no closure prior to June 1, 2003. There will be no discipline and/or firings as a result of any picket line activity.  
 
Workers mobilize to prevent use of scabs
The workers faced a military-style attempt by the company to get scabs across the picket line to restart production. They confronted an army of security goons, cops, a hostile mayor, court injunctions to limit picketing, and a level of violence by the "goonies" used against them they had never experienced in any of the previous strikes against Navistar, including the longest one in 1974. About a third of the strikers were veterans of that walkout.

The company-instigated violence reached its peak on June 24 when a security thug driving a van deliberately ran down six strike supporters from CAW Local 444 in Windsor at DaimlerChrysler. The wheels of the van passed completely over picket Don Milner, who remains in critical condition six weeks later. For four weeks he was in a coma.

The union organized flying squads to detect the transport of scabs by van or bus. Strikers watched the local police stations and pickup points for the scabs who were recruited in the nearby cities of London and Windsor. They followed the vans that left the plant to see if they were picking up scabs to bring back. They were asked to be on call 24 hours a day in addition to their regular shifts on the picket lines. The majority canceled their summer vacations.

The 110 office workers who are members of CAW Local 35, who were not on strike, refused to be driven into the plant in buses. They used their own cars and were ready to walk out if scabs got into the plant. They were the ears and eyes of the strikers in the plant where supervisors were working.

Many workers are expecting another union-busting effort in two years when the contract expires. In the meantime the struggle is continuing in one form or another.

The bosses have asked all workers to wear Navistar clothes on August 12, the 100th anniversary of the company. Many workers will be wearing their strike T-shirt instead.

On August 27 the security guard who injured Milner will appear in a Chatham court, charged with three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. CAW 127 members and others will be at the court to demand a conviction.

Workers have also reported that the company may make a statement on the future of the plant September 15.

John Steele is a meat packer and a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 175 in Toronto. Owen Bray, a member of Canadian Auto Workers Local 127 at Navistar in Chatham, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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