The 1934 Electric Auto-Lite Strike
I produced, directed, edited, co-wrote and obtained a grant for this program.
The 1934 Electric Auto-Lite Strike occurred in Toledo, Ohio. The state of Ohio has a rich labor history, and the Auto-Lite protest is part of this. Some scholars contend that this strike was one of the three most important in the history of labor in the United States, for it led to the development of the United Auto Workers, or UAW. The UAW is one of the most powerful unions in the world because of the strong American automobile industry.
This 60-minute documentary describes many of the political and
economic conditions, which led to the strike. The great depression
was taking place. The working atmosphere inside the plant was
horrible. The program discusses the events leading to the strike,
the mass rallies and violence that erupted, and the immediate
aftermath of the demonstration. There were national implications
that arose from the strike such as the development of the United
AutoWorkers and the Congress for Industrial Organizations, or
CIO.