UAW Local 600 Records

Accession Number: 
LR000176
Extent: 
74.5 Linear Feet (69 SB, 5 MB, 1 OS)

Chartered August 9, 1938, UAW Local 600 did not gain much worker support until the Rouge plant-wide strike of April 1, 1941. The first UAW contract with Ford Motor Company was signed June 20, and ratified by the Local July 22, 1941. With 50,000 to 80,000 members in various periods, many from the massive River Rouge Complex, Local 600 has been both the largest and the most controversial local in the UAW. Local 600 is also known for its progressive streak, having hosted civil rights icons such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks while supporting social causes around Metro Detroit. The Local was organized into separate plant units, with as many as nineteen during the period between 1941-1950. Each unit sent delegates to a General Council which determined the policies of the Local, and occasional mass meetings were held. The collection covers various aspects of the union's operations. The majority of the collection consists of personal papers of union leaders, meeting minutes of the General Council and Executive Board, along with photographs of union events and from Local 600's Ford Facts publication.

Date: 
1935-2012
Attachment(click to download)
LR000176.pdfLR000176.pdf633.56 KB