UAW (United Automobile Workers of America)

  • (001) UAW Organizing, Reuther, Frankensteen, Battle of the Overpass, 1937

    UAW ― Battle of the Overpass

    On May 26, 1937 UAW organizers and their supporters were brutally assaulted on the Miller Road Overpass at the Ford Rouge Plant by members of the Ford Service Department. The event would eventually be known as the Battle of the Overpass and marked the beginning of the end for Ford’s anti-union stance. Servicemen ensured that few images of the event survived by confiscating or destroying the films and cameras of the photographers. The images in this gallery are mostly the products of Detroit News photographer Scotty Kilpatrick, who cleverly hid his film and saved it from destruction. Kilpatrick’s work is credited as being the inspiration for the Pulitzer committee to create a prize for photography.

    Curator: Elizabeth Clemens

    There are 36 images in this gallery

    Last updated: Mon, 02/20/2017 - 14:27

  • (3871) Retail support, Flint, Michigan

    UAW ― Flint Sit-Down Strike

    The Flint Sit Down of 1937 was a defining event for the American labor movement and for the United Automobile Workers (UAW). From December 30, 1936 until February 11, 1937, members of the fledgling UAW sat down in General Motors-owned plants in Flint, Michigan, refusing to work or to leave. After 44 days, GM signed a contract recognizing the UAW as the official representative for the striking Flint autoworkers, the first major victory for the union.

    There are 95 images in this gallery

    Last updated: Tue, 11/04/2008 - 12:39

  • (10295) Demonstrations, Solidarity Day, Washington, DC

    UAW ― General

    This gallery contains photographs that depict the United Auto Workers Union history, including strikes, parades, conventions, and other union-sponsored activities. The photographs highlight the achievements of the union and feature the union rank and file and officers, as well as historically influential national and international figures.

    There are 301 images in this gallery

    Last updated: Wed, 09/02/2009 - 08:50