06/06/2026
Do you remember when?
On June 5, 1998, 3,400 UAW International Union members began a seven-week strike at General Motors' Flint Metal Center, after the union claimed that GM broke a commitment to upgrade the plant. Soon after the initial walkout, over 5,000 workers at the Flint East plant joined the strike over concerns about GM outsourcing labor to non-union plants across the world.
The strike halted GM production at nearly 30 of its facilities, causing the company to report over $2 billion in lost profits and delay the sale of new vehicles by up to two months. The strike lasted 54 days and ended when GM promised to invest $180 million into one of the plants and not to close the striking factories. The workers agreed to a 15% increase in daily production and changes in other work rules as partof the agreement.
