George Washington to New Hampshire, 29 December 1777 (Detail, GLC03706) America Between the Wars: The Flint Sit-Down Strike by Jim Cameron Saline High School, Saline, MI http://www.historicalvoices.org/flint/ The United Automobile Workers had established several local unions by 1935 that had few members and little power. The Flint Sit-Down Strike turned the UAW into a very powerful national union. Flint was the only General Motors plant in the United States with dies to produce car body parts for Buicks, Pontiacs, and Oldsmobiles. A strike was planned and scheduled but the union organizers heard that General Motors planned to move the dies out of Flint. Organizers quickly held a meeting and decided to strike that day by sitting down at the work place. Workers organized themselves in the factory even electing a "mayor." Women brought food and passed it through the windows. When the police broke in and shot tear gas into the factory the men threw hinges at them and the women outside the factory broke windows to let in fresh air. Many recreational activities were organized to entertain the workers and many songs were written to help pass the time and create solidarity within the work force. The strike eventually spread to Fisher Body #4 significantly reducing the production of the necessary automobile body parts. On February 11, 1937 General Motors Corporation and the United Automobile Workers signed an agreement recognizing the UAW as the sole bargaining agent for the workers. Strike Songs Published by The Flint Auto Worker January 1937 The Fisher Strike (Tune: The Martins and McCoys) Gather round me and I'll Tell you all a story, Of the Fisher Body Factory Number One. When the dies they started moving, The Union Men they had a meeting, To decide right then and there what must be done. Chorus: These 4000 Union Boys, Oh, they sure made lots of noise, They decide then and there to shut down tight, In the office they got snooty, So we started picket duty, Now the Fisher Body Shop is on a strike. Now this strike it started one bright Wednesday eventing, When they loaded up a box car full of dies. When the union boys they stopped them, And the Railroad Workers backed them, The officials in the office were surprised. Repeat Chorus: Now they really started out to strike in earnest, They took possession of the gates and buildings too. They placed a guard in eithr clockhouse, Just to keep the non-union men out, And they took the keys and locked the gates up too. Repeat Chorus Now you may think that this union strike is ended, And they'll all go back to work just as before, But the day shift men are "cuties", They relieve the night shift duties, And we carry on this strike just as before. Repeat Chorus 1. Why did the "Union boys" go on strike? 2. Why did the "Railroad Workers" support them? 3. What was unique about this strike? 4. Why didn't the "office boys" hire replacements? 5. What may be misleading about the "day shift 'cuties'" relieving the night shift? 6. How would songs like this one help create solidarity?