Today in Labor History 6 March

[Omaha Steve]

6 March

March 6, 1978 - President Jimmy Carter invoked the Taft-Hartley law to halt the 1977-78 national contract strike by the United Mine Workers of America. The Mine Workers had been on strike since December 1977, but rejected a tentative contract agreement in early March 1978. Carter then invoked the national emergency provision of Taft-Hartley and a federal commission ordered the strikers back to work. The miners ignored the order and the government did little to enforce it. Eventually a settlement was reached and ratified in late March.