The year 1956 had to be a truly frustrating one for contractors in our region. There were plenty of big construction projects under way that year. However, there was no steel available for awhile, because of a strike in July.

The strike began June 30, 1956. More than $2.9 million in construction projects were in progress in Oneonta alone. Four major projects included a $1.12 million wing at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, a $970,000 water-treatment plant on East Street, a new $630,000 Valleyview School, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Walnut St. for $325,000.

The strike not only idled construction around here, it meant no work for nearly 600,000 United Steelworkers across the country. Management for steel companies wanted to give workers a five-year contract. Unions didn’t want any part of that, instead seeking to renew a two-year pact that had run out.

Contractor Neil Nielsen said the status of two of his company’s projects, Valleyview School and Fox Hospital, were "questionable" in early July. Another one of his projects, St. Mary’s, wouldn’t be slowed much because most of the major steelwork had been completed.

Nielsen said that reinforcing rods had been received so far for the school, and structural steel wouldn’t be needed for at least six weeks. Work on the hospital’s structural steel was also still about six weeks away. Nielsen said he was hopeful the strike would be settled quickly.

The water-treatment plant was questionable as well. At that time, they were waiting for the 2.1 million-gallon steel storage tank, which was to be built above Woodside Avenue. Public Service Director Clarence M. Taylor said the steel had been ordered seven to eight weeks before and hadn’t arrived. The strike wasn’t helping matters.

Taylor did say that 12-inch steel pipe had arrived for connecting the water-filtration plant with wells to be sunk on Webb Island, which was once found in the area of today’s Catella Park, near the mouth of Oneonta Creek.

The strike was settled June 28. The last major steel strike was in 1952 and lasted 55 days. It produced an estimated $5 billion in losses, counting lost production, lost wages, shutdowns and other industries dependent on steel.

It was a welcome sight in early September when steel began returning to Oneonta for the waiting projects. The effect wasn’t disastrous for any project. Work had been at a standstill for two weeks on Fox Hospital, and the Valleyview project had lost three weeks.

"We should be in full-scale operation in the next two weeks," Nielsen said. "All we need now is a break in the weather for the next two months." It was Nielsen’s hopes to have the school and hospital enclosed before the cold weather.[an error occurred while processing this directive]