The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Caterpillar Corpora tion (Cat) engaged in one of the longest and most contentious labor disputes of the 1990s. This article analyzes the dispute, shows how the UAW retreated from two major strikes over the course of the decade, how the Cat workers displayed a great deal of militancy during the struggle, how the union fought the legal battle, and how the Cat workers eventually achieved a contract.
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