After a strike lasting several months the plant was nationalized by the provincial government and a collective bargaining agreement was signed by it and the union.

In 1971, as the result of pressure from the FFAW Newfoundland became the first Canadian province to recognize the collective bargaining rights of fishery workers when[5] the Newfoundland House of Assembly passed the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act which gave inshore fishers the right to negotiate their prices.

The union also waged a successful campaign for workers compensation in the fishing industry with a law being passed by the House of Assembly in 1981.

[1] In 2012 the Canadian Auto Workers merged with Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada to form Unifor.

[13] On December 3, 2019, Cleary announced the dissolution of FISH-NL after it failed to gain the necessary 4000 signatures after a second membership drive to trigger a ratification vote.