Striking Ore

The Rise and Fall of Union Power in the Pilbara

By: Alexis Vassiley

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Paperback | 1 April 2025

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In the 1970s and 1980s, the Pilbara iron ore industry was a bastion of militant unionism 'union power'. Today, it is almost completely un-unionised.

Labour historian and industrial relations scholar Alexis Vassiley charts the rise and fall of this union power over the decades. He explores the hard-won breakthroughs workers made in pay, conditions and safety, and analyses the conflict between rank-and-file unionists and trade union officials that drove tension between the two groups. He examines how the strength of the unions was undone, delving into the Robe River dispute, and looks at the consequences of the loss of unionism today, including mental health issues and sexual harassment.

Based on archival research and interviews with participants, including rank-and-file union members, shop stewards and organisers, Striking Ore centres the actions of workers themselves to answer the questions of how this union power came about, what it meant for the workers and their communities, how it was destroyed and what is the legacy of the unions' defeat.

About the Author

Alexis Vassiley is a labour historian and industrial relations scholar who has published on union strategy. He is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, and a research team member for the Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety Centre – an ECU industry collaboration centre for the mining sector.

Alexis is an associate editor of Labour History and chief investigator on the funded project ‘Learning from past union revivals: rebuilding trade unionism in early 20th century Australia’. He is also a recipient of the Eric Fry Labour History Scholarship.

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