Today in history

December 30

1936
The United Automobile Workers sat down at General Motors in Flint, Michigan.

General Motors had refused to recognize the union so the workers adopted a tactic developed by French workers. Instead of picketing outside a factory only to be ignored or forcibly cleared away, the sit-down strike enabled workers to halt production and seize the plant “from the inside.” Finally, on February 11, 1937, GM acknowledged the UAW as its employee’s official “bargaining agent,” sending ripples throughout the industry, as other auto makers gradually accepted the legitimacy of the union. It was an inspiration to workers in other industries to organize themselves.

Workers sit down at GM

Supporters pass in food to sitdown strikers

1971
Daniel Ellsberg was indicted by a federal grand jury for releasing Pentagon Papers to news media. The papers were part of a 7,000-page, top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United States’ political and military involvement in the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1971 and described air strikes over Laos, raids along the coast of North Vietnam, and offensive actions taken by U.S. Marines well before the American public was told that such actions had already occurred.
These charges were later dismissed by Judge William M. Byrne, who cited government misconduct in May, 1973.