PODCAST:
July 14, 2026 ~ WJR’s Director of Community Affairs and News Marie Osborne with a piece on the labor movement.
DETROIT, MICH. ~ To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, WJR’s Director of Community Affairs and News Marie Osborne is looking back at the memorable contributions that the state of Michigan has made to the cultural fabric of the country.
As Detroit’s industry exploded in the 1930s, conditions became harsh for plant workers. 12-hour shifts handling dangerous machinery led to organizers coming together.
Two brothers focused on activism, Walter and Victor Reuther, joined the fledgling United Auto Workers union to help bring a voice to those without one.
“Their defining moment came in 1936 inside the massive General Motors Fisher Body Plant in Flint,” Osborne said on Focus. “Workers launched a bold new tactic, the sit-down strike. Instead of walking out, they stayed inside, occupying the factory, halting production, and preventing replacement workers from taking their jobs. The strike lasted 44 days. Police used tear gas in the plant. Supporters formed human shields outside. Residents delivered food and blankets to the workers barricaded inside.”
In the year following, all the hard work paid off as General Motors finally recognized the UAW, and Chrylser quickly followed, along with Ford a couple years later. This accomplishment brought eight-hour workdays, safer conditions, and eventually pensions with influence stretching beyond the auto industry.
