Lorell Patterson was hired by Decatur's A.E. Staley Manufacturing in 1990. By 1993, she was locked out and on the road with the Road Warriors working to overcome labor laws stacked against workers, global corporate owner Tate & Lyle PLC, and unions that wanted to be rid of a dissident local. Several workers were killed during the lockout, which ended after 31 months when international union leaders visited Decatur and made media appearances telling workers that if they didn't accept the contract (which was minimally changed from the company's original demand), they'd never get their jobs back. On December 23, 1995, the lockout ended. For a more complete summary, check out http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/staley.htm