The strike, led by the International Woodworkers of America (IWA), concerned loggers who campaigned for improved labor and living conditions in logging camps.
[3] In 1956, the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) began to operate on Newfoundland, quickly challenging the NLA for control over the organized labor movement on the island.
Tensions continued to mount, and in 1958 the IWA organized a large strike at an AND Co. facility in Grand Falls-Windsor, advocating for higher wages and better working conditions.
[3] The strike continued for several weeks without major incident, but by February public sentiment had turned against the strikers and the IWA.
Bolstered by rising anti-IWA sentiment in the public, the Newfoundland government passed a number of laws stripping the IWA of its right to bargain while also making labor unions liable for illegal acts committed on their behalf.