February 11, 2023: White Shirt Day

WHEREAS, on December 28, 1936, brave auto workers at the General Motors factory in Flint, Michigan orchestrated a Sit-Down Strike to protest brutal working conditions, low wages, and anti-union sentiment; and,

WHEREAS, Police and General Motors employees attempted to enter the Fisher Body 2 plant on January 11, 1937, using tear gas and bullets to break the strike. The clash, known as the Battle of Running Bulls, did not deter the strikers; and,

WHEREAS, the Flint Women’s Emergency Brigade formed to protect the sit-down strikers, many of whom were the women’s husbands, brothers, sons, and co-workers. Armed with mops, brooms, rolling pins, and even pans, the women formed a human barricade around the picket line; and,

WHEREAS, the struggle also extended to the courts, with General Motors receiving two injunctions to end the strike, both of which were met with adaptability from the strikers. Occupiers chose to expand the strike into another facility. GM attempted to beat them to the punch, but inevitably were not prepared for the strikers’ arrival at Chevrolet Plant 4; and,

WHEREAS, the expansion of the strike was a crucial tipping point for the workers, with GM having no other option than to bargain with the Union; and, 

WHEREAS, John L. Lewis took on the challenge of speaking for the Union in these negotiations, with Governor Frank Murphy acting as an intermediary between GM and the UAW; and, 

WHEREAS, on February 11, 1937, the two groups finally reached an agreement, which gave the UAW legitimacy to grow from 30,000 to 500,000 workers, and provided all laborers with a pay raise and lunch break; and,

WHEREAS, each year since, workers have worn white shirts on February 11^th to show that laborers and “blue collar” workers deserve the same rights and respect as their “white collar” counterparts;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim February 11, 2023 as White Shirt Day in Michigan. I urge Michiganders to celebrate those before us who have paved the way for fairer labor practices and better conditions.