Seems like a great day to post images of
@UAW
members on strike and walking the picket line. From the UAW's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
. Stay tuned throughout the day for more!
#StandUpUAW
"Build Homes by Mass Production" c. 1945
As WWII neared its end, the
@UAW
proposed building pre-fabricated homes in bomber & tank plants. Addressing a major housing crisis, the inventive plan was not adopted in American factories.
From the union's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Fordism is Fascism
Unionism is Americanism"
@UAW
picketing Ford Motor in Dearborn (MI), 1937. From the UAW archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#StandUpUAW
This plant on strike 👠🔨
Watercolor art depicting a scene from a picket line, featured in the
@UAW
's Solidarity newspaper, July 1967. From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Make Jobs, not war"
"Fund mass transit"
"Reagan: Robin Hood in reverse"
"Solidarity Day: Labor stands united"
Union slogans and pieces of flair on display with this
@UAW
member. Michigan, circa early 1980s. From the UAW's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
. 🧢🪧
"Walter Reuther was a straitlaced man. He didn't drink or smoke, and he did not swear. So... someone gave him this to him and said "Walter, any time that you want to swear at somebody, but you can't, put this on your desk and you can just point at it."
-
@UAW_Archivist
Comfortable footwear is a necessity on the picket line. Wear crocs if you have to, you're among friends here, no judgment.
From the
@UAW
archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Willie Nelson championing
@SEIU
, labor unions, and liberal social causes at the 1991 Solidarity Day in Washington DC. From the SEIU Photographs collection at the
@ReutherLibrary
. .
#1u
Picket Duty
Forage Duty
Kitchen Duty
Placard Duty
Flying Squadron
Plenty of jobs to go around during the
@UAW
Local 581 strike against GM! This picket card from the 1945 strike kept track of member Joe Walton's participation.
From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Fords will be Unionized!
Flyers handed out to autoworkers during the
@UAW
’s initial campaign to organize Ford Motor. Circa 1937-1940. From the archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Sad to hear musical superstar and activist, Harry Belafonte, has passed. He used his platform to champion numerous causes, notably civil rights.
Photos from the
@ReutherLibrary
of Belafonte meeting with
@UAW
President Walter Reuther at the union's headquarters in Detroit. 1960s.
"Why Doesn't Ford Talk about Profits?"
Flyer discussing the high cost of cars vs. the rise in profits, circa 1958, from the
@UAW
's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Women were in labor before men were born."
-Myra Wolfgang, unwavering organizer and officer of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees union, today known as
@unitehere
.
#InternationalWomensDay
Soup's no fun -
Without the beans
Convention attendee thinking about those beans, Detroit 1979. From
@UAW
special convention proceedings booklet at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Remember This
Register
Vote"
This CIO pamphlet showing police assaulting a picketing worker draws a straight line from political power to worker and human rights. From the Mildred Jeffrey Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
. Circa early 1940s.
Learn more:
When you do research with our archival collections at the
@ReutherLibrary
, it will be in the shadow of this large, untitled mural. Painted in 1937, it depicts the early efforts of the
@UAW
to organize autoworkers. Visit us soon and check out this work of labor history!
It’s amazing to see that people are enjoying about the archives and labor history. Big thank you to the
@UAW
staff who put it together. They are real pros at Solidarity House and fun to work with!
Scenes from a massive strike against Chrysler.
@UAW
Local 7, Hamtramck (the Vatican City of Detroit), 1950.
From the UAW's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#StandUpUAW
"A girl's best friend is her union"
Pamphlet written by the
@UAW
's Fair Practices and Anti-discrimination Dept, c. 1950s. Photo of members holding the same booklet at a UAW convention in 1955. Katherine Pollak Ellickson Papers,
@ReutherLibrary
.
#ArchivesBFF
#ArchivesHashtagParty
How much more UAW can this shirt be? The answer is none.
#UnionDrip
@UAW
Region 4 Director Bill Stewart taking part in a union presidential poll for the upcoming 1992 election. From the 'Region 4 Report,' at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Strong hat game from these
@UAW
members, picketing for pensions during contract negotiations with GM. Circa 1949. 🤠👒🎩🧢🎓
From our photo collections at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"We Shave When Victory Is Ours"🪧
Before No-Shave November or playoff beards, we had this. Photo of striking workers from a 1937 issue of the
@UAW
's United Automobile Worker newspaper. From the archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Anyone want to hang out and play 'Higher Wages and Shorter Hours' today?
The CIO News, Michigan Edition, 1940. From our collection of union publications at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
If the
@UAW
’s stand up strike sounds familiar, it’s a nod to the sit-down strike tactic. Most famous of these was the Flint Sit-down Strike of 1936-37. Learn more and see the
@ReutherLibrary
’s photos below.
The Flint Sit-Down Strike ended 83 years ago today. Many of the historical records documenting this critical moment for workers and the
@UAW
are housed here, at the
@ReutherLibrary
. Free and open to the public, learn more about these archival collections:
For a historical perspective, swearing is a proud tradition for Detroit politicians. If you are "offended" by
@RepRashida
's comment, don't read these gems from late Motor City Mayor Coleman Young.
Today marks the 90th anniversary of the Ford Hunger March, a tragic and vital event in labor history. In 1932, authorities attacked a diverse coalition of workers marching to Ford.
The following are archival materials from the
@ReutherLibrary
documenting the Hunger March.
An autoworker gets a visit from his dog during the Flint Sit-down Strike of 1936/37.
@UAW
publication commemorating the strike, 1962. From the archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Color my underwear important"
Came across the satirical Executive Coloring Book in an unprocessed collection. Though we usually don't keep books in archival collections at the
@ReutherLibrary
, it's very funny & an example of the type of thing our donors might be interested in.
Front page headlines from the United Automobile Worker newspaper, about the
@UAW
's Ford Motor organizing campaign, 1937-1938. Items I came across for my presentation on the Battle of the Overpass. From the union's bound newspaper collection at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
“A woman’s place is in her union.”
Publication from the
@UAW
Women’s Dept, an office created “to address the problems faced by women workers and to involve women in the administration of the UAW.” From the
@UAWWomen
department’s collection of publications at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Solidarity with
@sagaftra
! These posters are from their picket lines the last time the union went on strike, in 1980. From the
@ReutherLibrary
’s “Screen Actor” magazine collection.
#SAGAFTRAstrong
"Smash the Klan & Black Legion"
Sound car for
@UAW
Local 174, campaigning for Labor candidates in Detroit's 1937 city elections. With a slate of UAW executive board members, they ran on an anti-racist platform and denounced orgs who opposed integrated workplaces.
@ReutherLibrary
Featuring the logos of
@IATSE
,
@SEIU
,
@unitehere
, and many more labor unions, this shirt is cool as hell. It belonged to
@UAW
President Walter Reuther, from his archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
. Circa 1950s or 60s.
Came across another variation of the UAW logo, this time from the cover of
@uawregion6
's 1967 organizing report. From a newly-arrived collection here at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
The
@UAW
's soundcar, taking the union's message directly to the people on the street. The car also repped
@WDET
(likely blasting it from those giant speakers), back when the radio station was run by the UAW and focused on worker-centric programing. From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Back in the day, auto workers on the picket line carried blackjacks like these. That's because they had to ward off attacks from company goons and hostile local police! Circa 1930s, from the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#ArchivesHashtagParty
#ArchivesOldSchool
"When the UAW finally organized Chrysler, after a long sit-down strike in 1937, the workers marched out of the factory led by the marching band. The rhythmic pounding of the drum added to the sense of triumph!" —
#UAW
Archivist Gavin Strassel
#StandUpUAW
The original charter book of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This book documents the first organization led by African Americans to be admitted into the
@AFLCIO
(then just the AFL), a turning point for the labor movement.
#UMDLabor
exhibit at the
@HornbakeLibrary
.
Pop-up Lafayette Towers
Program from the opening of the Mies van der Rohe-designed residential buildings in Detroit. Circa 1963.
From the United Community Services Studies and Reports Records at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
The Script, 1934 yearbook for the Wisconsin School for Workers in Industry. A collection of think pieces, poems, and art from students at a labor summer school at
@UWMadison
.
From the Roy Reuther Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Decked out in suits and evening dresses, staff and members of the
@UAW
prepping sample ballots for the union's 1948 political action campaign.
@UnionDrip
From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Happy birthday to Walter Reuther, born in Wheeling, WV,
#OTD
in 1907.
@UAW
President from 1946-1970, his leadership helped transform the lives of numerous workers and their communities. Of course, he is also the namesake of our archives, the
@ReutherLibrary
.
"Beware of Witch-Hunts"
Pamphlet made by
@UAW
Local 600 Education Dept during WWII, telling members not to discriminate against or accuse people based on national origin or ethnicity. Amazing art for a serious subject.
From the Frank Marquart Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
. 🧙♀️🐈⬛
Today for
#P
ączkiDay, I looked into one of our archival collections documenting Polish Americans in Metro Detroit, the Bakery and Confectionery Workers' International Union, Polish Local 77 Records.
Many of the records, from this ballot to contracts, are in English and Polish.
Chronicle of the
@UAW
's 1967 auto negotiations and Ford strike, as told by the union's newspaper, Solidarity.
Great resources for researchers, union publications are full of original art, photos, and local stories. The
@ReutherLibrary
has a massive collection, open to the public!
@KevinMKruse
Found this telling pamphlet in the archives (Klan opposed organized labor and attacked union organizers), and the KKK used immigration as a way to scare up support into the 1930s. According to it, they also justified their beliefs behind "America First" & veneration for the flag.
Strike kitchens and food pantries, beautiful examples of a community coming together in solidarity to support striking workers.
From the
@UAW
archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#StandUpUAW
Very cool to finally see the trailer for the biopic about Bayard Rustin, along with the
@UAW
's picket signs from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom recreated for the film.
Also, this might be the first movie to have an actor depict Walter Reuther
Happy
#EarthDay
! The
@UAW
and its iconic leader, Walter Reuther, played a central role in the creation of this holiday. More than that, they were early champions of the environmental movement.
This 🧵 is based on the UAW's archival collections here at the
@ReutherLibrary
. 🌎
"Why? You should vote on election day"
In the 1960s, the
@UAW
became a leader in getting non-voters to the polls, mobilizing them to support pro-labor candidates and causes.
Pamphlet with inventive from UAW Region 3 CAP Council, from the CAP Dept Records at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Very excited to show off select items from the
@UAW
’s archives here at the
@ReutherLibrary
to The Guardian! The documents and artifacts in their archives are fascinating, and open to the public.
Women's softball teams for members of UAW locals 174 and 600. Metro Detroit, circa 1940.⚾️🧢🏆
The
@UAW
had a robust system of union rec leagues, building worker camaraderie outside the factory gates. From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#ArchivesSports
#ArchivesHashtagParty
HELP ORGANIZE FORDS!
Massive poster from the
@UAW
’s Ford organizing committee, 1937. The poster has translations in Polish, Italian, Hungarian, and Croatian, to appeal to the immigrant workforces in various Ford plants. From the Victor G. Reuther Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
“Create jobs not poverty”
Message from
@UAW
Local 122 members, at the 1981 Solidarity Day in Washington DC. From the pages of Solidarity magazine, at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Mid-century modern graphics depicting the rise of computers in the industrial workplace, from a series of pamphlets on automation. 1954-55. From the Roy M. Brown Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
W/ today's 85th anniversary of the Flint Sit-Down Strike, let's remember the Women's Emergency Brigade who walked frozen picket lines and fended off attacks by strikebreakers. The EB wore these red berets and armbands, from Genora Dollinger's archives here at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Viva la Huelga
Viva Solidaridad
Viva la Causa
Program from the 1969 dedication for the UFW's Roy Reuther Memorial Building. The bilingual pamphlet celebrates the close connection between the
@UFWupdates
and
@UAW
in the 1960s. From the Roy Reuther Papers at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Eddy Ciccotte, disgraced pitcher for the Chicago "Black Sox" who threw a World Series game, found a 2nd career as a spy in Ford's Service Dept, a murderous union-busting private army.
From a 1941 article titled "Ford's Fascism" at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
#UnionBustingIsDisgusting
In the late 1960s, the Metropolitan Detroit Citizens Development Authority awarded Prebuilt Homes Inc a contract to build low-cost homes. These photos of their prefab houses are from archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Does anyone know if any of these homes are still standing?
Not to shill for anyone, but Walter Reuther's house is for sale right now! The
@UAW
president built the floating staircase and other modern features throughout the home. It's easy to spot Reuther's passion for Scandinavian design and Japanese gardens.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marches down Woodward Ave with
@UAW
president Walter Reuther and others in Detroit, June 1963. The event, with 125,000 marchers, was the largest civil rights demonstration to that point.
#MLKDay
"Pensions
Health and Security
Wage Adjustments
NOW!"
Graphic from the
@UAW
's Ammunition magazine, circa late 1940s. From the union's archives at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
Masking up meant something different on a picket line in 1939.
Standard Oil workers wore gas masks to ward off tear gas attacks at a strike in Everett, MA. From the
@UAW
's newspaper, United Automobile Worker. Check out this publication at the
@ReutherLibrary
.
UAW leagues bowlers, c. 1940s. From the
@ReutherLibrary
.
In the 1940s, the
@UAW
created integrated bowling leagues around the country to give the public an alternative to the segregated American Bowling Congress leagues.
#ArchivesHashtagParty
#ArchivesSports
Bob Lanier,
@DetroitPistons
legend who passed away this month, wasn't just a hall-of-fame player. He was also a union leader, serving as president of the
@TheNBPA
from 1980-85, negotiating for the NBA's 1st CBA in '83.
Photos of Bob from the
@ReutherLibrary
's Virtual Motor City.