UAW Calls on Michigan Politicians to Honor White Shirt Day Traditions

UAW Calls on Michigan Lawmakers for White Shirt Day Support

FLINT - The United Auto Workers (UAW) has issued a call to action for Michigan state legislators to partake in the annual White Shirt Day event, encouraging them to don white shirts on February 11. This observance commemorates the 1937 Flint Sit-Down Strike, which played a pivotal role in shaping labor rights for American workers.

The UAW has circulated a letter to Lansing lawmakers, inviting their involvement in White Shirt Day. Wearing a white shirt symbolizes the belief that automotive workers should receive equal respect and dignity as their corporate counterparts. The letter is available here.

More than a mere gesture, the UAW emphasizes that participation in White Shirt Day represents a commitment to several key priorities outlined in the notice, including:

• Guaranteeing strong wages and labor protections so workers can earn a fair living.
• Strengthening healthcare affordability and access to essential medical care.
• Enhancing retirement security to ensure workers can retire with dignity.
• Promoting a healthier work-life balance for better personal and professional harmony.
• Holding corporations accountable for taking tax incentives while neglecting workers.
• Combating divide-and-conquer tactics that aim to set communities against each other.

The letter underscores the resilience of the General Motors workers during the 44-day strike, noting, “For 44 days, General Motors workers endured the full-throated force of corporate greed,” the letter reads. “They faced constant threats to their lives and families and even real violence. But these autoworkers had no choice but to endure – their entire livelihoods were at stake."

It further acknowledges the power of solidarity, stating, “The GM workers recognized 88 years ago that their strongest tool to leverage against even the most formidable of forces was solidarity. With a united rank-and-file, workers held the line – until they won.”

Concluding with a call-to-action, the UAW urges Michigan politicians: “Michigan’s over 350,000 active and retired UAW members are ready to fight alongside elected officials who fight for the working class. Now is the time to show them whose side you’re on.”