June 7, 1937 - 80th Anniversary
Posted 06.7.2017
WHAT: On June 7, 1937, Lansing’s labor force took a holiday. Thousands of strikers and their supporters crowded Lansing City Hall, the Michigan state capitol and many surrounding areas. Union on-call picketers, known as “flying squadrons,” arrived from out of town to assist with the protest. Cars and trucks were parked to block streets, and stores closed in support.
Seventy-fives year later, the Lansing Labor Holiday remains a remarkable example of nonviolent protest. (Courtesy of the Lansing Labor Holiday Facebook Page)
Click here to read more from the Lansing Labor Holiday Facebook Page.
Related content:
Lansing City Pulse: The Day the City Stood Still: The story of the Lansing Labor Holiday
In 2017, a unique confluence of organized labor milestones will be recognized through a public awareness effort called, “Building the Engine: Auto and Labor, 1932-1937.”
With informative programs, publications and events, regional partners including the MotorCities National Heritage Area and the Michigan Labor History Society will present the story of how these events laid the foundation for organized labor in the auto industry and beyond.
To navigate labor anniversaries being commemorated as part of this effort, click on the links below.
80th anniversary, 1936 Kelsey Hayes Sit-Down Strike – Dec. 14, 2016
80th anniversary, 1936-37 Flint Sit-Down Strike and first UAW-GM contract – Dec. 30, 2016-Feb. 11, 2017
85th anniversary, 1932 Ford Hunger March – March 7, 2017
80th anniversary, 1937 Battle of the Overpass – May 26, 2017
80th anniversary, 1937 Lansing Labor Holiday – June 7, 2017
Special publications, events, educational programming and more will be presented under the identity of “Building the Engine,” including a series of blog posts featured on the MotorCities website. Other information about the program will be listed on motorcities.org as well as the Michigan Labor History Society website at mlhs.wayne.edu.