December 28, 2008
UAW stages GM sit-down strike
The UAW has become synonymous with companies such as General Motors
Corp., Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co., but that wasn't always the
case.
It wasn't until this week in 1936 that the union made a name for
itself by staging a sit-down strike at a GM plant.
After hearing that GM planned to close a plant in Flint, UAW members
had a lunchtime meeting and decided to take over the plant on Dec. 30,
1936, in an effort to get the company to acknowledge their demands.
After 44 days, the sit-down strike ended when the UAW was recognized
as the sole bargaining unit for GM employees.
By Melanie D. Scott
