 In the fall of 1979, rather than undertake more traditional cost-cutting measures, McCardell pressed for concessions from the United Auto Workers (a trade union which had represented Harvester's workers since the early 1950s).McCardell's inexperience at labor relations, his rigid bargaining stance, misjudgments about the union's ability to withstand a long strike, and other factors trigged a 172-day strike which began on November 1, 1979, and ended on April 20, 1980.The strike was the longest ever at International Harvester, and as of August 2008 is still the fourth-longest strike in United Auto Worker history.