White Shirt Day is a day of remembrance for all of you who work with your collars buttoned up in the office. It does not actually commemorate the holiday, but rather the events that took place on this day in 1932. During the Great Depression, people were treated unfairly. Workers started to organize and demand better health insurance, payrolls, and safety regulations. The United Automobile Workers union had only been around for a few years, but it worked hard to bring workers together during such a difficult time. However, the 1920s were a dangerous time. General Motors had extensive control over politics in Flint, Michigan. GM maintained spies to keep their workers in line. Conditions were often horrible for GM workers, who died frequently. The UAW, which kept its work in secret, organized a rally at the Fisher Body Plant, where they would remain inside the plant, but wouldn’t work. This meant that people outside couldn’t get into the Fisher Body Plant, and the UAW members would not leave. The Flint sit-down strike was conducted to revolt against harsh conditions. The union itself helped form civil systems to maintain order within the plant. White Shirt Day commemorates the historic event where shirt-wearing factory workers across the city revolted against their employers. They were inspired by the simple fact that their bosses wore white shirts too, and they should be treated equally. This led to the creation of the 8 Hour Act, which is now a pillar of American labor law.

National White Shirt/White T-shirt Day is celebrated annually on February 11th!

In 1948. Bert Christenson, a member of UAW Local 598, initiated National White Shirt/White T-shirt Day.