Holding the line against the odds
Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983
Barbara Kingsolver
In 1983 a group of miners went on strike for eighteen months in the small mining towns of Arizona. This is not the story of the men but of the women, who were both workers at the mine and supporters because of family connections. Kingsolver allows the women to tell their story, their struggle, and their commitment to seeking justice. Not only did they endure an 18 month long strike but they had to overcome and rebuild after a flood devastated the area.
Phelps Dodge Copper Corporation in 1983 and the union clashed over the negotiation of a new contract. Not being able to resolve the matter to their satisfaction Phelps resorted to a series of tactics that included bringing in ‘scab’ workforce and intimidation of the strikers. The strikers remained steadfast, despite a natural disaster that destroys the community and harassment by the National Guard and police.
As a person not from the US, it was a surprise to me that a company owned a town, from the housing, the supermarket, the library, the police, everything in that town they owned. It was however, not a surprise, as to how Phelps would use that ownership as leverage to manipulate and coerce.
This is a complex story to follow as there are many moving elements leading up to and during the strike. You have the inherent racism against the Mexicans, the misogyny against the women and the inequality of conditions and wages. You have the machinations of the unions, companies and state and federal agencies that either assisted or impeded any progress to resolution. Kingsolver is masterful in laying out all these moving parts so that you do not feel overwhelmed in trying to ascertain all the major players.
Kingsolver then brings you into the world of people and the remarkable women and their journeys who bore the brunt of the strike action. For what does get lost in the endless media reporting is the impact it has on the ordinary person. You often see the Ceo’s, the union bosses in front of the camera talking about negotiations, outcomes, turnover and productivity. What is always is missing is the ordinary person trying to survive the impasse. The men, the women and the children who are caught up in a situation where they often have limited agency for change.
Kingsolver takes a deep dive into two groups of women who were involved in the strikes. First you had the women who worked in the mine who were subjected to the most horrendous sexual harassment and demeaning treatment. Then the women who supported their husbands on strike. Initially they were in the background, cooking, supporting the family, waving a placard here and there but they soon came to the fore front. When the two groups of women merges, they become the front line, the leaders of the strike and an absolute force to be reckoned with.
I want to be a tad coy here, as I do not want to reveal any details of the experiences of the women. As part of the journey in ‘Holding the Line’ are the revelations of what occurs and how the women deal with the situations. Plus reading their words makes it extremely powerful and all so real.
This book was first published in 1989 and has been re-issued in 2024 with a new introduction and a revised first chapter. It is an amazing book that documents how women just did just not survive but demonstrated amazing courage and determination to continue against overwhelming adversity.
For more on Barbara Kingsolver have a look at their website.
Comments
Post a Comment