87th Anniversary of the UAW-GM Sit Down Strike

With today marking the 87th anniversary of the 44 day UAW-GM Sit Down Strike I wanted discuss the important role strikes play in securing a better contract.  I think it’s also important to remember that President Elect Donald Trump was caught on tape praising Elon Musk for the firing of striking workers.   Strikes sometimes a necessity in securing a fair contract for the employees and it’s important to remember that when a union strikes it’s because the company refuses to negotiate in good faith.

I doubt it could be done again, not with the threat of termination. Yes, I know they faced termination then too, but they were just a few years removed from the Great Depression and the men were very hungry and prepared to do whatever it took to secure a fair contract.

They endured 44 days on strike, and on January 11th, 1937 28 UAW members were shot in what was called the Battle of the Running Bulls when protesters and women tried to bring food to the strikers.

Governor Murphy sent in the National Guard, not to break or arrest the striking workers but to maintain the peace. How do you think that would work out in 2025? We have a President elect that praised the firing of striking workers and a governor that supports Right to Work.

"On Jan. 11, 1937, there was a violent clash between workers, protesters, General Motors men and Flint police called the Battle of Running Bulls, which started when protesters, many of whom were women, opened a gate to bring food to the strikers. The police responded with tear gas and bullets, and 28 people were injured, some severely. After this clash, Murphy summoned the National Guard. There was a twist, however, in that Murphy ordered the National Guard simply to keep the peace, refusing to direct them to act with force against the workers."

In 2019 General Motors, Ford and Stellantis forced the UAW to go on strike when despite making at or near record profits they failed to negotiate a fair and equitable contract with the UAW.  The final offer at the strike deadline was to shift 15% of the cost of healthcare onto the members, a 2% pay raise, and no language for the conversation of temporary workers or language to bring jobs back to the USA.  Their failure to negotiate in good faith forced a strike that lasted 40 days. 

Just like Ground Hog Day in 2023 the Big 3 again, while making at or near record profits forced the UAW to go on strike for a fair and equitable contract, this time lasting 46 days.  Newly elected International President Shawn Fain instead of walking out all members employed by GM he targeted Wentzville Assembly, one of GM’s most profitable plants sending ripples throughout the auto industry.  General Motors President Mark Reuss claimed “the union’s full demands would be “untenable,” or unsustainable, for the company.  He went on to say “If we don’t continue to invest, we will lose ground…quickly.  Our competitors across the country and around the world, most of whom are non-union, will waste no time seizing the opportunity we would be handing them”.  GM claimed the strike was costing them $200 million per week and that meeting the demands of the union would be detrimental to the future of the company claiming there was no more money left on the table, that the final offer was the best they could do.

On October 30th, 2023 General Motors and the UAW reached a tentative agreement that met most but not all of the UAW’s demands.  As a slap in the face to the UAW and every GM employee, less than one month later General Motors announced a $10 billion accelerated share repurchase (ASR) or more commonly known as a stock buyback.  GM CEO Mary Barra stated “GM will deliver very strong profits in 2023 thanks to an exceptional portfolio of vehicles that customers love and our operating discipline,”.  Not one work acknowledging the hard work put in by the 40,000 employees and members of the UAW’s exceptional work assembling the vehicles that made it possible for GM to make record profits. 
It took a 46 day strike to extract a moderately fair contract and less than 30 days to notify their shareholders of a $10 million dollar stock buyback. All this after forcing the UAW to strike for a moderately successful collective bargaining agreement. 

Glenn Kage
Labor Front