Flint in Genesee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Flint Industry / GM Sit-Down Strike

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021

1. Flint Industry / GM Sit-Down Strike Marker

Side 1

Inscription. Flint Industry
From 1910 through the 1980s, automobile and parts manufacturing dominated Flint industry. Like the saw and flour mills that preceded them, the factories were centered west of downtown in the Flint River valley. Industry began here in 1865 with the Begole and Fox Lumber Company located on the south side of the river. Lumber mills became wagon and carriage companies, which in turn evolved into automobile manufacturers. In 1913 the Chevrolet Motor Company took over the Begole and Fox site in the valley. Known as "Chevrolet in the hole" due to its location, by 1934 the 80-acre complex employed 14,000 workers at 31 factories on both sides of the river. Facing a downturn in production, General Motors began removing unused buildings in 1995. The last one, Plant 4 was razed in 2004.

GM Sit-Down Strike
In 1936 the fledgling United Automobile Workers union (UAW) was organizing workers in Flint, the heart of the General Motors Corporation (GM) labor force. On December 30, 1936, workers at Chevrolet´s Fisher Body Plant 2 "sat down," stopping production. They demanded union recognition and a cessation of sending work to nounion plants. On January 11, 1937, violence erupted at Fisher 2. In what workers call the "Battle of the Running Bulls," the Flint police crossed the

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Chevrolet Avenue Bridge, armed with tear gas and guns, while workers turned fire hoses, car door hinges, bottles, and other projectiles into weapons. Twenty-seven people were inured. The 44-day strike ended on February 11, 1937, when GM recognized the UAW as the bargaining agent for GM factory workers.

Erected 2008 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number S0497.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 43° 0.623′ N, 83° 42.612′ W. Marker is in Flint, Michigan, in Genesee County. Marker is on North Chevrolet Avenue near Hasselbring Street, on the left when traveling north. Located just south of Kettering University and north of the Flint River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Flint MI 48504, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. At Their Side (here, next to this marker); Chevrolet Empire (here, next to this marker); Body By Fisher (here, next to this marker); Sitting For 44 Days (here, next to this marker); Charles Kettering (about

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021

2. Flint Industry / GM Sit-Down Strike Marker

Side 2

700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Learning Leadership (approx. ¼ mile away); Michigan School for the Deaf / Superintendent's Cottage (approx. half a mile away); Birthplace of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Flint.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 26, 2021

3. Flint Industry / GM Sit-Down Strike Marker

Kettering University campus in background

Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 223 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 29, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.