Event TypeLabor DisputeEvent Date1983-1985Date Range1980s (1980-1989)DescriptionIn 1983, low copper prices prompted Phelps Dodge to lay off some workers and reduce working hours for the remaining workers at its copper mine in Clifton-Morenci. The mine workers’ union called a strike, and when Phelps Dodge and the union could not agree on a resolution, the company began to replace striking union workers with non-union workers. The strike turned violent, prompting Governor Babbitt to declare a state of emergency that lasted until August 10, 1985.
