Manufacturing Meltdown
Reshaping Steel Work
In the 1980s, following decades of booming business, the global steel industry went into a precipitous decline, which necessitated significant restructuring. Management demanded workers’ increased participation in evermore temporary and insecure labour. Engaging the workers at the flagship Stelco plant in Hamilton, the authors document new management strategies and the responses of unionized workforces to them. These investigations provide valuable insights into the dramatic changes occurring within the Canadian steel industry.
About the book
In the 1980s, following decades of booming business, the global steel industry went into a precipitous decline, which necessitated significant restructuring. Management demanded workers’ increased participation in evermore temporary and insecure labour. Engaging the workers at the flagship Stelco plant in Hamilton, the authors document new management strategies and the responses of unionized workforces to them. These investigations provide valuable insights into the dramatic changes occurring within the Canadian steel industry.
What people are saying
Peter Warrian, senior research fellow, Munk School for Global Affairs, University of Toronto“A gripping story of the upheaval in the lives of steelworkers, their families and communities as a result of industry restructuring.”
Bob Sutton, former recording secretary, United Steelworkers Local 1005 and editor of SteelShots“Manufacturing Meltdown explains what has happened to our manufacturing, our jobs, our future and our country. This is something that needed telling and this book tells it very well.”
Authors
Contents
- Introduction: Labour Displacement and the Enduring Significance of Steel Work
- Melting the Core Steel Workforce, 1981-2003
- Storing and Transmitting Skills: The Expropriation of Working-Class Control
- The Future of Steel Jobs
- References
- Index
_cover-FINAL_400_600_90_s.jpg)
