First they were beaten up, then the US auto union UAW ensured the rise of the American middle class. Crises followed – but now the union is making a big comeback.
The idea to start the strike came to Walter Reuther when Ford increased the speed on the production lines and a worker next to him fainted. He persuaded his colleague to have another attack of weakness a few days later, now simulated. The tape stopped. “Strike!” the call went through the halls. Thousands of workers surrounded Reuther and listened to his incendiary speech.
Source: Stern
