Ford's violent suppression of UAW leafleting, and the photographs that survived, shifted public opinion toward organized labor in the U.S.
Key Facts
- Date
- May 26, 1937
- Location
- River Rouge complex overpass, Dearborn, Michigan
- Ford workforce at site
- 90,000 employees
- Attacker
- Ford Motor Company security service and Dearborn police
- Target
- United Auto Workers organizers distributing leaflets
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The UAW had successfully organized workers at Ford's major competitors and planned to extend organizing efforts to Ford's River Rouge complex. Organizers sought to distribute leaflets at an overpass leading to the plant's main gate, visible to tens of thousands of workers entering and exiting.
On May 26, 1937, before UAW organizers could begin leafleting, Ford's quasi-military security service and Dearborn police attacked them on the overpass at the River Rouge complex. Ford personnel also attempted to destroy news photographs taken during the assault to suppress evidence of the violence.
The photographs that survived the destruction were published nationally, exposing Ford's brutality to a wide audience. Public perception shifted in favor of the union, undermining Ford's efforts to control the narrative and bolstering the broader labor movement's legitimacy during a critical period of union organizing.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent