Strike! 99 Days on the Line

The Workers' Own Story of the 1945 Windsor Ford Strike

Mary E. Baruth-Walsh and G. Mark Walsh
With a Foreword by Buzz Hargrove

8 X 10 inches, 122 pages
120 b&w photographs and archival reproductions

STRIKE! The war against Fascism was barely over when two sides in an onging Canadian struggle prepared to face off against each other. On one side was Corporate Canada, no longer thwarted by a shortage of labour and looking to return to pre-war status quo. On the other side was the still young Canadian Labour Movement, unwilling to give up gains achieved on the homefront. It all came down to a situation in Windsor—failed contract negotiations between the Ford Motor Company of Canada and Local 200 of the United Automobile Workers of America.

Thousands of Windsor Ford workers walked off the job on 12 September 1945 and would not return for ninety-nine days, not until they had won. And win they did. Out of the 1945 strike came the Rand Formula, part of a now famous report ensuring union security in Canada. Without this struggle, organized labour in Canada would not be where it is today.

Mary E. Baruth-Walsh

Author

A graduate in history from the University of Windsor, Mary E. Baruth-Walsh worked as the curator at the Backus Historical Complex for the Long Point Region Conservation Authority. She completed the certificate in museum studies program from the Ontario Museum Association. G. Mark Walsh is her partner in life, writing, and business.

G. Mark Walsh

Author

Also a graduate in history from the University of Windsor, G. Mark Walsh studied archival administration at Wayne State University and is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. He has worked as Windsor's municipal archivist and as Records Coordinator for the City of London.

The pair have been a research and writing team since 1991, sharing a long-standing interest in automotive and labour history. Together they operate Baruth-Walsh Heritage Consultants and reside in Port Rowan, Ontario.