American Experience Season 5 Episode 11 Sit Down and Fight

Sit Down and Fight is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the PBS documentary series American Experience. The episode explores the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-37, a pivotal moment in American labor history that transformed the United Auto Workers from a fledgling union into a powerful force that reshaped the nation's industrial landscape.

The strike began on December 30, 1936, when workers at General Motors' Fisher Body Plant in Flint, Michigan, sat down on the job and refused to work. This was a radical departure from the traditional method of striking, which involved picketing outside of a plant and hoping to force management to capitulate. The sit-down strategy was risky and controversial, but the workers believed that it was necessary to secure their demands.

At the heart of the dispute were two key issues: job security and union recognition. The workers wanted GM to agree to a union contract that would protect them from arbitrary lay-offs and give them a say in workplace decision-making. GM, on the other hand, saw the strike as a challenge to its authority and refused to budge.

The standoff lasted for 44 days, during which time the workers endured freezing temperatures, food shortages, and the threat of violence from both company goons and the police. The strike attracted national attention and became a symbol of the struggle between labor and capital in the Depression era.

The episode features interviews with several striking workers and their descendants, as well as historians and labor leaders. They provide a vivid portrait of the conditions that led to the strike, the challenges that the workers faced, and the political and social context in which the strike occurred.

We learn about the workers' ingenious tactics, such as the creation of an internal security force that kept watch over the plant and prevented management from shutting off the heat and electricity. We see how the strike inspired solidarity from other workers and unions across the country, who sent food and supplies to Flint to support the strikers.

We also hear about the opposition that the strike faced, both from GM and from conservative politicians and media outlets that portrayed the strikers as dangerous radicals. The strike was eventually broken up by a court injunction and the deployment of National Guard troops, but not before the workers had secured a victory: GM agreed to recognize the UAW and negotiate a contract.

The episode concludes by reflecting on the legacy of the strike. We see how the UAW grew in strength and became a key player in the postwar American economy, as well as a force for social justice and civil rights. We also see how the sit-down strike inspired other workers to take bold action and paved the way for the labor movement of the 20th century.

Overall, Sit Down and Fight is a compelling and insightful look at a pivotal moment in American history. It tells a story of ordinary workers who stood up to corporate power and won, and of the profound impact that their struggle had on the nation.