Four Dimensions Of Conflict In Clifton
Four Dimensions of Conflict and a Flood
Several months into the strike, record setting rainfall caused the San Francisco river to overflow its banks sending an unexpected and swift torrent of water through the town of Clifton, AZ on October 1, 1983. This catastrophic event, while completely unrelated to the details of the labor contract negotiations and ongoing strike, provides an excellent example of how history and culture work together to influence the willingness of the conflicted parties to engage with each other. Seemly unrelated events can be a catalyst to begin the work of de-escalation, or as was the case in Clifton, may further entrench the viewpoints of each party as they spiral into further escalations within the conflict.
In the hours and days following the initial flooding, the management of Phelps Dodge and the striking mine workers became engaged in a new conflict. Rather than being at odds over specific labor contract details, the striking mine workers, along with the townspeople of Clifton, were embattled with Phelps Dodge over the availability of state and national rescue resources. Kingsolver documents several stories from miners and others in the community of the DPS (Arizona state police) and the national guard giving prioritization to Phelps Dodge personnel. Examples of such atrocities claimed by the striking workers and their families include (pp 49-52, Kingsolver, 1996):
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Several months into the strike, record setting rainfall caused the San Francisco river to overflow its banks sending an unexpected and swift torrent of water through the town of Clifton, AZ on October 1, 1983. This catastrophic event, while completely unrelated to the details of the labor contract negotiations and ongoing strike, provides an excellent example of how history and culture work together to influence the willingness of the conflicted parties to engage with each other. Seemly unrelated events can be a catalyst to begin the work of de-escalation, or as was the case in Clifton, may further entrench the viewpoints of each party as they spiral into further escalations within the conflict.
In the hours and days following the initial flooding, the management of Phelps Dodge and the striking mine workers became engaged in a new conflict. Rather than being at odds over specific labor contract details, the striking mine workers, along with the townspeople of Clifton, were embattled with Phelps Dodge over the availability of state and national rescue resources. Kingsolver documents several stories from miners and others in the community of the DPS (Arizona state police) and the national guard giving prioritization to Phelps Dodge personnel. Examples of such atrocities claimed by the striking workers and their families include (pp 49-52, Kingsolver, 1996):
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