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The tool and die strike of 1939, also known as the "strategy strike", was an ultimately successful attempt by the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) to be recognized as the sole representative for General Motors workers. In addition to representation rights, the UAW, working jointly with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), sought to resolve existing grievances of skilled workers. == Background == The UAW was founded in May 1935 in Detroit Michigan, the same city in which the General Motors Company was headquartered. In 1939, the organization had limited experience in negotiations, but had found some success in previous strikes. The Flint sit-down strike, which took place from December 30, 1936 thorough February 1937 in Flint, Michigan, led to the first National UAW-CIO-GM agreement. This agreement, reached on February 11, 1937, recognized the UAW as the sole representative for GM employees, provided the employees were union members for a period of at least six months. The Flint strike and the ensuing agreement are seen as the beginning of increased legitimacy for the UAW. Beginning in May 1939, the UAW-CIO General Motors Department was placed under the control of Walter Reuther. Reuther had been involved in both negotiations and strikes prior, having been the president of Local 174, which represented autoworkers in Detroit.〔http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/laborhall/1990_reuther.htm〕 The UAW had been experiencing infighting at the time, described as “internecine factionalism that pitted communists against conservatives.” Reuther believed that for the UAW to gain recognition and legitimacy, the organization had to be entirely rebuilt. In addition, he concluded that the UAW would need to demonstrate that it was not only a disciplined, responsible organization, but that it had significant power under its control. The UAW faced obstacles beyond internal conflicts, however, and Reuther learned after assuming his new role that only six percent of all production workers were paying dues and, in Flint, only 6,000 out of 42,000 workers were paying dues. These statistics led GM to question union membership, and in turn withdraw its recognition of the UAW-CIO, effectively nullifying the 1937 agreement. For the 25 years following its formation in 1908, General Motors Company (GM) hadn't participated in any major negotiations with labor unions. This inexperience is viewed by some as a major factor in how the company reacted to changes in political climate and the increasing role of organized labor. Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, GM had already established itself as a multinational automaker by the 1930s. In 1939, the year of the strike, GM had a successful business year; car and truck production was increased by one-third and market penetration stood at more than 43 percent. GM was also believed to be the employer of the UAW’s “largest single bloc of potential members and the key to union revival." Reuther decided to use both the strength and growth of the industry to the union's advantage. Reuther organized tool and die makers, representing the skilled workers GM relied on in production of the 1940 models. Skilled workers were particularly loyal to the CIO and UAW due to the onset of the Great Depression and they often viewed these unions as a way to protect the integrity of their craft.〔 The framework for negotiations was formed prior to the strike. The UAW aimed for a new structure at GM which would ensure “orderly and responsive consideration of collective bargaining objectives, conduct of negotiations, and coordination of tactics on grievances." The strike also sought a work week of 30 hours, cessation of pay docking for workers, and formal reinstation of shop steward systems. Additionally, workers desired a greater role in determining production standards. Success in these negotiations would advance the UAW's ultimate goal of representation and legitimacy. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tool and die strike of 1939」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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