Ford Drive

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Text on Button MY DOLLAR IS PAID FORD DRIVE 1937 1938
Image Description

Red, white and blue button with white and blue text. 

Back Paper / Back Info

(union bug)

Curl Text Bastian Bros Co. (union bug) Rochester, N.Y.
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The Ford Drive was a campaign in 1937 and 1938 by the United Automobile Workers union (UAW) to organize workers at the Ford Motor Company.  Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company in 1908 was strongly opposed to unionizing labor.  The Ford Company was the last Detroit automaker to recognize the UAW but due to a strike in 1941 that closed the River Rouge Plant, leaders at the Ford plant were forced to engage in negotiations with union leaders. 

Upset with the turn of events, Ford threatened to break up the company rather than cooperate with union leaders, but his wife Clara told him she would leave if he destroyed the family business.  Ford acquiesced, and overnight the company went from being the one holdout to UAW to agreeing to the most generous contract terms of any auto maker at the time. The Ford Motor Company is one of the largest family-controlled companies in the world, and has been in continuous family control for over 100 years.

Catalog ID CL0365