Mlive: See the 46 images from the historic Flint Sit-Down Strike (strike began Dec. 30, 1936)

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Labor & GD

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2015/01/see_the_images_from_the_histor.html

Dominic Adams

FLINT, MI – It was 78 years ago, when a group of 50 men would begin the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-37 inside General Motors’ Fisher Body Plant 2, beginning a 44-day work stoppage that would end when GM recognized the United Auto Workers as the bargaining agent for hourly workers.

The strike began Dec. 30, 1936, at the Fisher 2 plant when the men sat down on the line in protest against the transfer of three inspectors who refused to quit the union.



Members of the Michigan National Guard get into formation in this Flint Journal file photo from Jan. 18, 1937. The National Guard was called in during the Flint Sit-Down Strike.


Nine days after the strike started, police took a more active role by making arrests in front of Chevrolet’s Plant 9 at West Kearsley and Asylum streets following a “pitched battle” there, according to The Flint Journal’s archives.

A couple of days after the first arrest, police fired tear gas outside and inside Fisher No. 2, according to “Sit-Down,” a book detailing the history of the Sit-Down Strike by the late Sidney Fine.


View of the Chevrolet Motor Co. plant No 4 just before Flint Sit-Down strikers took it over as seen in this Flint Journal file photo from Feb. 1, 1937.


FULL story and more photos at link.

[Kevin from WI]

1. These are the things that I wish every american would learn

Most people don't seem to know what unions have done for them. When you tell them how things were before the unions they say, "That will never happen again." They say this even though they buy things from corporations that do various types of abuses to their employees overseas. Unfortunately, there are people with lots of money in politics who want to turn back the clock to the way it was before unions existed. We will soon be right back to where we were before we had unions. We will be forced to fight for our rights all over again. And yet we have morons in America who are championing this. They turn on their propaganda machines everyday and listen to some talk show host who tells them how evil unions are. It disgusts me. The middle class decline goes with the decline of unions. How sad it is to watch the decline.

[Skittles]

3. you know it Kevin from WI

welcome to DU

[socialist_n_TN]

4. Yeah, my response the that "That will never happen again"......

is just to laugh and then remind them that any law that is passed at any time can be repealed if the owners can buy enough politicians.

I also welcome you to DU and especially to the Socialist Progressive group, our little red and pink corner of DU.

[Starry Messenger]

5. +1

[Kermitt Gribble]

2. Some ignorant comments on that article.

No wonder this country is in the shape it's in today.

Thanks for the post, Omaha Steve!