Horse drawn carriage horseless carriage brass era 1916 horsepower car truck vehicle assembly autowork 1930's great depression F.D.R. elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt New Deal first UAW contact agreement Flint Mi Sitdown books
Welcome! During and Since the Flint MI June 1998 UAW General Motors Summer Strike Flint Metal Center UAW Local 659 and Delphi Automotive UAW Local 651 this site has attempted to assemble the greatest collection of labor links that contain historical subject matter concerning flint mi and the 1936 1937 Great Flint stay-in Sit-down strike. The men were called Sitdowners in Fisher Body Plant One Fisher Body Factory 2 (Baby Fisher) Chevrolet Plant 4 and 9. Also, the origin and beginning of motorcar assembly in Flint Michigan. Horse drawn, horseless carriages (the Brass Era pre-1916), motor driven cars and trucks automobiles early days of gm William Billy Durant founder of General Motors. Dallas Dort, Albert Champion AC Spark Plug, David Dunbar, Buick Chevrolet Ransom E. Olds Oldsmobile, Pontiac. Whether you are doing research for a term paper, a presentation, reading for personal enrichment, a labor or automotive historian, or just happened to find this site while surfing the world wide web, please take a moment to learn about this event from the thirties that changed the worker company dynamic. A voice at a bargaining table was created (unlike the past where the company decided everything). One voice, the U.A.W.- C.I.O. spoke for and represented the Sit-downers during the December 28, 1936 thru February 11, 1937 UNION VICTORY, A FIRST AGREEMENT WITH GM Sit down Stay In Strike. THIS STORY IS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN UNITED STATES AND WORLD LABOR HISTORY!
The First UAW-GM Agreement
February 11, 1937
Agreement entered into on this 11th day of February, 1937, between the General Motors Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the Corporation) and the International Union, United Automobile Workers of America (hereinafter referred to as the Union).
The Corporation hereby recognizes the Union as the Collective Bargaining agency for those employees of the Corporation who are members of the Union. There shall be no discrimination, interference, restraint or coercion by the Corporation or any of its agents against any employee because of membership in the Union. The Corporation and the Union agree to commence collective bargaining negotiations on February 16th with regard to the issues specified in the letter of January 4th, 1937, from the Union to the Corporation, for the purpose of entering into a collective bargaining agreement, or agreements, covering such issues, looking to a final and complete settlement of all matters in dispute. The Union agrees to forthwith terminate the present strike against the Corporation, and to evacuate all plants now occupied by strikers. The Corporation agrees that all of its plants, which are on strike, or otherwise idle shall resume operations as rapidly as possible. It is understood that all employees now on strike or otherwise idle will return to their usual work when called and that no discrimination shall be made or prejudices exercised by the Corporation against any employee because of his former affiliation with, or activities in, the Union or the present strike. The Union agrees that pending the negotiations referred to in Paragraph Two, there shall be no strikes called or any other interruption to or interference with production, by the Union or its members. During the existence of the collective bargaining agreement contemplated pursuant to Paragraph Two, all opportunities to achieve a satisfactory settlement of any grievance or enforcement of any demands by negotiations shall be exhausted before there shall be any strikes or other interruption to or interference with production by the Union or its members. There shall be no attempts to intimidate or coerce any employees by the Union and there shall not be any solicitation or signing up of members by the Union on the premises of the Company. This is not to preclude individual discussion. After the evacuation of its plants and the termination of the strike the Corporation agrees to consent to the entry of orders, dismissing the injunction proceedings which have been started by the Corporation against the Union, or any of its members, or officers or any of its locals, including those pending in Flint, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio, and subject to the approval of the Court to discontinue all contempt proceedings which it has instituted thereunder.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
/s/ William S. Knudsen
/s/ J. T. Smith
/s/ D. Brown
UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKERS
/s/ Wyndham Mortimer, First Vice-President
/s/ Lee Pressman, General Counsel, CIO
/s/ John L. Lewis, Chairman, CIO
1937 UAW GM Agreement photo sit-down memorial monument to Great Flint Sit-downers http://community-2.webtv.net/blacklava/contract/
http://community-2.webtv.net/geneseecounty/uawgmcontract/
TO ARRIVE AT THIS WEBSITE...
www.UHHUH.com
OR http://community-2.webtv.net/uhhuhdotcom/uhhuh/ will work, also.
Walter Reuther, President UAW 1946 -1970
There's a direct relationship between the bread box and the ballot box, and what the Union fights for and wins at the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls.
http://www.time.com/time/time100/builder/profile/reuther.html
For further information on The Great Flint Sitdown Strike of 1936-1937 and Genesee county history, please read the following books...
THE MANY AND THE FEW / A Chronicle of the Dynamic Auto Workers by Henry Kraus
HEROES OF UNWRITTEN STORY / The UAW, 1934-1939 by Henry Kraus
SITDOWN! by Sidney Fine
THE FLINT SIT-DOWN STRIKE OF 1936-1937:
WITNESSES AND WARRIORS by Catherine Smith / Publisher: Mott Community College, Flint Michigan www.artscope.net/NEWS/news990615-7.shtml
NOT AUTOMATIC / Women and the Left in the Forging of The Auto Workers' Union by Sol Dollinger and Genora Johnson Dollinger
Organize by Wyndham Mortimer
More Reading...
HANGING ON or How to Get Through a Depression and Enjoy Life by Edmond G. Love
During the Depression, Flint Michigan was hit twice as hard in comparison to the rest of the cities in the U.S. Unemployment averaged close to 50% while the average U. S. city averaged a 25% rate. Mr. Love writes about life in Flint during this time.
THROUGH THE YEARS IN GENESEE an Illustrated History by Alice Lethbridge
The village of Flint grew up around a tavern on the Flint River where pioneer families gathered to ease the loneliness and celebrate the hard-won victories of frontier life. The village grew and prospered as market town and county seat, and drew the first of the many visionary businessmen who would change Flint from a country village to a center of industry. The lumber industry, the carriage industry, and finally the automobile brought Flint into the forefront of a modern age. The transition has not always been easy, and as in pioneer days, the victories have been hard-won.
Genesee County History Book Bibliography - Central Michigan University - Clarke Library
www.lib.cmich.edu/clarke/lhbgenesee.htm
Get News from The Newshub:
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THERE are MANY Many MORE labor heritage - history and Great Flint SITDOWN LINKS further on down the road following the early city of flint mi genesee county horse drawn carriage, horse less carriage Brass Era pre 1916, motor car, motor driven, vehicle assembly history links below. So please, stay in, sitdown, and scroll on. Thank You.
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