The birth of the United Auto Workers. "The Flint Sit Down Strike of 1936-37"

Why a sit down strike?  Silly, don't you think?

Well, they the laborers at the GM Flint plant didn't have a choice.  They received word that GM was about to remove the 'dyes' from Fisher plant #1.

To protect their jobs, they occupied the plant and invoked a strike.

While occupying the plant the laborers maintained the plant in good working order.  Elected a mayor and civic leaders to organize the community that was not living inside while sympathizers carried out protests outside.

The laborers were supported by the community.  THAT is an integral part of the union movement.  Communities that 'gather' around the unions help a great deal to support their right to work and their right to a decent wage.  Communities would provide support because it also insured their existence.  As an example, grocers would supply food to strikers and their family on credit.  Store credit.  When the strike was over, the grocer was assured to have his clientele and his income while the laborers, now back to work, paid off their credit accounts.

It worked well.  It worked out well for local governments that were successful in keeping their tax base.  A tax base that included the plant and its profit margin once it was anchored in a contract with the union.

It was Americana through and through.  It was an enforced 'jobs structure.'  Companies stayed and towns did well.  FDR was no fool.