The Tilco Strike
Written by D'arcy Jenish
About The Tilco Strike:
The Tilco Strike recounts the year-long fight between 35 poorly paid women, and their hard-nosed male bosses at Tilco Plastics in Peterborough, Ontario, who were determined to crush the women and their union. The strike began in December 1965 over a $25 bonus and escalated into an epic battle between organized labour and strike-breaking employers. The women lost their fight, but changed labour relations in Ontario forever.
Production history of The Tilco Strike:
The Tilco Strike by D'arcy Jenish premiered as part of 4th Line Theatre's 2023 season. As a journalist and author, D'arcy Jenish has always been looking for a good story. He happened upon the Tilco strike while working on a piece on 50th anniversary history of Trent University. He interviewed the distinguished historian Joan Sangster, who did a lot of work on female factory workers in Peterborough. She had written an academic paper on the Tilco strike. When D'arcy Jenish read her paper, back in 2014 or 2015, He recognized immediately that this was a natural story for 4th Line Theatre and began work on the piece.