CREATE TABLE table_203_759 (id NUMBER, "year" NUMBER, "company" CLOB, "number of members affected" NUMBER, "duration of strike" CLOB, "notes" CLOB)

before 1989 how many strikes were there ?
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM table_203_759 WHERE "year" < 1989
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM "table_203_759" WHERE "year" < 1989