The Strike Heard Round The World

Not every strike is legal, although these days most are. Nevertheless, in 1936, the type of strike known as a sit-down strike, or maybe a sit-in, was not legal. On the evening of December 30th at 8pm, in one of the first sit-down strikes in US history, autoworkers took over General Motors’ Fisher Body Plant Number One in Flint, Michigan. They were demanding that the United Auto Workers (UAW) be recognized as the sole bargaining representative for GM employees, an end to the practice of sending work to non-union plants, a fair minimum wage, a grievance system, and safety measures to protect assembly-line workers from injury. The strike went on for a total of 44 days.

The fact is that the Flint sit-down strike wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment move. It had been carefully planned. UAW leaders, inspired by similar actions in Europe, had been organizing it for months. It actually kicked off in smaller plants…Fisher Body in Atlanta on November 16th, GM in Kansas City on December 16th, and a Fisher stamping plant in Cleveland on December 28th. While the other plants were important, it was the Flint plant that was the real prize. The Flint plant housed one of only two sets of body dies that GM used to stamp out nearly all its 1937 cars. Taking over the Flint plant meant workers could bring the company to a near standstill.

On the evening of December 30th, the Flint Plant’s night shift stopped working, locking themselves in, and sitting down. “She’s ours!” one worker shouted. In retaliation, GM claimed the strikers were trespassing and got a court order for their removal, but the union members refused to leave. When GM cut the heat, the strikers bundled up in coats and blankets and held their ground. On January 11th, police tried to block their food supply, sparking the “Battle of the Running Bulls,” which left 16 workers and 11 policemen injured, and led the UAW to seize the nearby Fisher Two plant. By February 1st, the UAW had also taken control of the massive Chevrolet Number 4 engine factory, slashing GM’s production from 50,000 cars in December to just 125 in February. It seemed that no matter what management and police tried, the workers and the union were determined, and they were winning.

The 1936 Sit-Down Strike, known as “the strike heard round the world,” rocked the auto industry when over 136,000 GM workers in Flint, Michigan took part. Despite GM’s massive influence, Michigan Governor Frank Murphy refused to use force to end the strike. While the sit-ins were “technically” illegal, Murphy believed sending in the National Guard would be a huge mistake. Murphy worried that using the National Guard could lead to many deaths. Instead, he announced that state authorities would remain neutral, focusing only on keeping the peace. Finally, the problem landed on the desk of President Roosevelt, who then pushed GM to acknowledge the union so the plants could get back to work. Sometimes a problem has to be taken clear to the top to get resolver. By mid-February, the automaker reached a deal with the UAW, granting workers a 5 percent raise and the freedom to chat in the lunchroom. While that battle was over, the sit-down strike had also opened the door for the right to protest peacefully.