(WXYZ) — As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, the role of the labor movement is being celebrated by many of those in our workforce.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
Countless stories dating back to the beginning of unionization are taking center stage as we reflect back.
From the Chrysler sit-down strike of 1937, this drum is just one of many labor artifacts preserved at Wayne State University, part of our nation’s story.
“Detroit is a big union town. We all know that. We have Ford, GM & Chrysler," said UAW autoworker Stephanie White.
As a proud union factory worker helping build the Jeep Grand Cherokee in Detroit, White tells me she believes the labor movement is directly responsible for helping create our middle class.
“To be able to go home and take care of their bills. Feed their kids. Take care of things at home," she said.
Michigan workers have historically fought for decades to receive better wages and other benefits, but it's here at the Walter P. Reuther Library on the campus of Wayne State that I got to see some of the photos and specific artifacts that tell the story of famous scenes playing out at places like the Ford Rouge Plant.
Called the "Battle of the Overpass," it was here in 1937 that Ford security guards attacked UAW organizers, including future president Walter Reuther.
“Where would we be without the labor movement today?" I asked Elizabeth Faue, director of Labor@Wayne.
"I think where we would be is that we wouldn’t have the weekend. We would not have restrictions on hours. Many of the employment laws that protect all workers were supported by the labor movement," she said.
Aside from Teamsters leader James R. Hoffa, others played a key part in tackling barriers, including those taking part in the Flint sit-down strike at General Motors from 1936-1937,
a 44-day-long occupation of a factory, giving way to the company officially recognizing the UAW and increasing wages.
UAW archivist Gavin Strassel sat down with me to talk about victories, such as when Henry Ford eventually signed a contract with the UAW, the last of the Big Three to unionize.
“Reflecting on that violence that unfolded, what did it show to our community in Detroit?" I asked.
"It shattered the image of Henry Ford as this folksy businessman and showed that the companies were willing to use violence to keep workers from organizing, and it showed just what unions were fighting against," said Strassel.
In other areas, such as government and education, experts say public unionized workers, like teachers, now have more pay and stronger contracts that address the issues of today.
“Education, health care. Workers in those sectors might be slightly better paid, but are also confronting conditions like workplace violence and uncertainty about their own employment," said Faue.
Recently, in 2023, Michigan made national news by becoming the first state in 58 years to repeal its “Right to Work” law enacted in 2012 to prevent mandatory union dues, and as for negotiations, those are still happening as we speak.
“Detroit Federation of Teachers has been around since 1931. We are working constantly for smaller class sizes. Adequate resources. As times change, we must evolve," said Lakia Wilson, president of DFT.
As unions have continued to expand, so has recognition of this library, with more visitors coming from all over the world.
