Detroit – The Labor Movement
• Despite Detroit’s Image as a Union Town, before 1910, unions in
Detroit were unsuccessful and one labor leader was quoted as
saying that Detroit was a “poor union town.”
• Most unions before 1910 were Trade Unions, that usually only
represented “skilled workers.”
• Even in the years between 1910 and 1920, when the city’s
population grew dramatically, the only unions that were growing
were those for skilled workers, which did not include Automobile
workers.
• Attempts to organize auto industries in 1903, 1910 and 1913 failed
as did a strike at the Studebaker plant in 1913.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• The Auto industry was difficult to organize because:
• Auto Industry Workers already made more that most factory workers.
On average $2.78 a day, compared to $2.19 for other factory workers.
• Existing unions saw the industrial workers as unskilled an not worth
organizing.
• Auto workers were from different parts of the world and often spoke
many different languages, so it was difficult to organize across the
many smaller sub-groups
• Most importantly, workers were seen as easily replaceable since, the
work was considered easily, and unions feared that factory owners
would just find replacements if workers tried to strike.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President in the United
States. In 1933, Roosevelt signed the National Industrial Recovery
Act, which gave workers collective bargaining rights.
• In 1933, 1934, and 1935, strikes at individual plants were
unsuccessful in gaining rights for auto workers.
• In 1935, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) attempted to
organize across the many auto workers for the many auto
companies, in what would become the United Automobile Workers
(UAW) which later broke from the AFL.
• In late 1936, the UAW began using sit-down strikes to try and
force General Motors to negotiate, first in Flint and later in Detroit.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President in the United
States. In 1933, Roosevelt signed the National Industrial Recovery
Act, which gave workers collective bargaining rights.
• In 1933, 1934, and 1935, strikes at individual plants were
unsuccessful in gaining rights for auto workers.
• In 1935, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) attempted to
organize across the many auto workers for the many auto
companies, in what would become the United Automobile Workers
(UAW) which later broke from the AFL.
• In late 1936, the UAW began using sit-down strikes to try and
force General Motors to negotiate, first in Flint and later in Detroit.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• When Flint workers learned that G.M. planned on moving die work
out of Fischer plant #1, the workers staged an impromptu sit-down
strike.
• The strike started on December 30th, 1936.
• When The workers occupied the plant, a Judge ordered them out.
But the judge owned $200,000 in G.M. stock, and therefore was not
qualified to hear the case.
• When police arrived on January 11th, 1937, workers sprayed them
with fire hoses and threw auto parts at them. The UAW women’s
auxiliary broke windows in the plant so that tear gas would not be
affective in the plant.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• The sit-down strikes in Flint lasted into February, when
on February 1st another court order was issued for them
to leave the plants. Instead the workers added another
plant to list of factories that they occupied.
•During the final days of the strike, Governror Murphy
sent in the national guard, to protect workers from strikebreakers.
• After the added occupation, G.M. was willing to
negotiate, and on February 11th, after 44 days of the strike
and ten days of negotiation, G.M. signed an agreement
that recognized the U.A.W. as the union representing its
workers.
Detroit – The Labor Movement
Detroit – The Labor Movement
• A list of union demands included:
• Recognition of UAW as sole bargaining agency.
• Abolition of piece work in favor of straight hourly rates.
• A 30 hour week and 6 hour day, with time and a half for
overtime.
• A "minimum rate of pay commensurate with an
American standard of living."
• Seniority rights based on length of service.
• Reinstatement of all employes "unjustly discharged."
• Mutual agreement on "speed of production."