Mackie was a member of the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) and became the de facto leader of the strike. While it was AWU policy to resolve the dispute through arbitration before the Industrial Relations Commission, he pursued direct militant action and insisted on an enterprise agreement with the company. As a consequence the AWU expelled him from the union, which allowed the company to terminate his employment. The dispute was prolonged by the insistence of strikers that he be reinstated, a demand that was never met.