Filipino Army Strike (1983)

Mon Oct 03, 1983

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Image: An aerial view of Clark Air Base, Luzon, Philippines, on 1 December 1989. Several U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4E & F-4G Phantom II aircraft from the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing are parked in their dispersal areas

On this day in 1983, 22,000 Filipino workers, paid less and given worse work than their American counterparts, walked off the job in a strike against the U.S.'s two largest foreign military bases, Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base. The military bases were the home of the U.S. 13th Air Force and logistics center for the U.S. Seventh Fleet, respectively.

Filipinos were solely employed in maintenance and lower level positions, paid in pesos, and generally made less than their American counterparts. Striking workers demanded a 10% pay raise, and refused a counter-offer from the American government of a 4.6% increase.