In the late 1960s, Black autoworkers began to confront the racist practices of the United Auto Workers union and the car companies individually, and learned that they would have to organize themselves. In response to a speedup of the assembly lines, a wildcat strike was organized at the Dodge Main plant in Hamtramck on May 2nd, 1968. Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM) formed out of this strike. Workers at other plants began to organize themselves too, and soon there were Revolutionary Union Movements (RUMs) at the Ford plant at River Rouge, and the Eldon Avenue Chrysler plant. The RUM model quickly spread to other industries in which large numbers of Black workers participated in a skilled trade. The spirit and actions of the RUMs continue to resonate in and shape Detroit.
Printed at the worker-owned Stumptown Printers, Portland, OR.
This is #63 in the Celebrate People’s History Poster Series.
