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Summary

In December 1936, autoworkers at General Motors plants in Michigan, led by the United Auto Workers (UAW), launched a series of sit-down strikes demanding union recognition and an end to discriminatory practices. The longest strike lasted 44 days, during which workers occupied plants, faced police violence and injunctions, and used nonviolent tactics to maintain their position. The strike ended on February 11, 1937, with GM agreeing to recognize the UAW as the sole bargaining agent for workers in the struck plants, ending discrimination, and increasing hourly pay by five cents.

Background

In December 1936, autoworkers at General Motors (GM) plants in Michigan demanded that GM recognize the United Auto Workers (UAW) as the sole bargaining agent for all employees, end discriminatory practices, and relax efforts to speed up production. GM refused to negotiate, instead directing workers to address grievances with individual plant managers. The workers responded with sit-down strikes, occupying plants to halt production and maintain leverage.

What happened

On December 30, 1936, workers at Fisher Body Plant No. [source: nv-database] 2 in Flint sat down after GM transferred inspectors who would not leave the union, and workers at Fisher Body Plant No. [source: nv-database] 1 sat down that afternoon to prevent GM from moving dies to other plants [source: nv-database]. The strike spread through GM’s Michigan system, and by early February 1937, most of GM’s 200,000 workers were on strike, reducing car production from 53,000 to 1,500 per week [source: nv-database]. GM obtained an injunction on January 2, 1937, but workers laughed the sheriff out of the building when he read it [source: nv-database]. On January 11, GM turned off the heat, and police attacked with tear gas, clubs, and riot guns; strikers used fire hoses and threw metal objects, holding the plant after a four-hour battle [source: nv-database]. Fourteen workers were wounded and later jailed, and the National Guard arrived [source: nv-database]. On February 1, workers used a diversion to occupy Chevrolet Plant No. [source: nv-database] 4, halting all Chevrolet production; the Women’s Emergency Brigade smashed windows to counter tear gas and locked arms to block police [source: nv-database]. Another injunction on February 2 ordered evacuation by 3:00 p.m. [source: nv-database] the next day under a $15,000,000 fine, but workers refused, and the sheriff asked Governor Murphy to call in additional National Guard [source: nv-database]. The Guard surrounded plants, preventing food and reporters from reaching strikers at some plants [source: nv-database]. On February 11, GM and the UAW reached an agreement: GM recognized the UAW as sole bargaining agent for workers in the 20 struck plants, agreed not to discriminate, dropped court charges, and the UAW agreed to refrain from recruiting on GM property and to exhaust other methods before striking [source: nv-database]. Workers marched out singing ‘Solidarity Forever’ [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • United Auto Workers of America (UAW)
  • General Motors Corporation (GM)
  • Women’s Emergency Brigade
  • Judge Edward Black
  • Sheriff Thomas Wolcott
  • Governor Frank Murphy
  • W.S. Knudsen
  • Circuit Judge Paul V. Gadola

Tactics used

The sit-down strikes (stay-in strikes) allowed workers to physically occupy plants, preventing production and giving them leverage against GM’s attempts to lock them out or replace them. Combined with picketing, mass assemblies, and the Women’s Emergency Brigade’s direct actions, the campaign maintained pressure and solidarity despite injunctions and police violence. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The campaign achieved 5 out of 6 points for success in specific demands, as GM recognized the UAW for the struck plants (not all GM employees), ended discrimination, and increased pay, but the UAW had to agree to no recruiting on GM property and to exhaust other methods before striking. The strike’s success inspired workers across the United States and the world to use similar methods for their rights [source: nv-database].

Lessons

  • Sit-down strikes can effectively halt production and maintain worker leverage against a powerful corporation.
  • Building external alliances, such as the Women’s Emergency Brigade, can provide critical support and escalate pressure.
  • Refusing to obey injunctions and maintaining occupation despite police violence can force opponents to negotiate.
  • Using diversion tactics can enable workers to seize strategic facilities and shift the balance of power.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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