Workers Vote to End Strike at American Potash Plant – Nov 14, 1966
600 members of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union Local 35 voted to return to work at American Potash & Chemical Corporation in Trona.
The walkout began last Monday when about 50 ILWU workers left their jobs and were joined later by several hundred others. James Campbell financial vice president of the local said the strike involved contract interpretation.
R. W. Sigg, industrial relations manager for the company said the complaints involved grievance procedures, overtime policies, and alleged job elimination, among other things.
Mr. Sigg had termed the walkout as completely illegal citing a two year contract signed last March that specifically prohibits strikes, stoppages and slowdowns. Current disputes will be handled by regular grievance procedures Mr. Sigg said.
I worked at the American Potash and Chemical Company during the1966 strike. When we weren’t protesting, my friends and I mostly hung out at the Snake Pit bar drinking beer. While most workers picketed, some chose to be scabs and took advantage of the strike to make great money. As expected, tempers flared and several scuffles broke out when strikers and scabs clashed. I left Trona shortly thereafter to seek employment elsewhere. I visited Trona a few years ago and was surprised to see that had turned into another Death Valley ghost town. My visit did, however, bring back fond memories.
I just saw your post today about the strike in ‘66. My late father Ben Buchanan worked there at that time and the family has been living out in Homewood Canyon since 1953-54. I had been finishing my senior year in high school staying with my grandparents in the San Gabriel Valley. My friend and I had driven back out to Trona to see my family for a few days and dad said it was not safe for us because of all the issues going on. He was on strike at the time and encouraged us to just stay overnight and head home to the grandparents. I remember that it was really scary. Dad decided to pull up stakes shortly thereafter and we all then returned back to the San Gabriel Valley where dad found other work until he retired.