The History of UAW Local 659 is a union-produced historical volume documenting the origins, struggles, triumphs, and community presence of UAW Local 659, one of Flint’s major General Motors locals. Compiled by Local 659’s History Committee and edited by members including Don Mosher and Al Anthony, the book serves as both a historical reference and a commemorative record for union members and their families.

1)	 Founding of Local 659 & Early Labor Conditions
The book opens with the early years of General Motors operations in Flint and the labor climate of the 1920s–1930s. It explains how exhausting conditions, unsafe workplaces, and low wages laid the foundation for union organization. Local 659’s roots emerge in the context of escalating labor tensions and worker solidarity across the Chevrolet and Fisher Body Plants.

2)	The Sit-Down Strike and Its Legacy
A major portion of the early chapters covers Flint’s 1936–37 Sit-Down Strike, the event that forced GM to recognize the UAW. Local 659’s membership—drawn from several plants—played essential roles in strike support, picket duty, food delivery, communications, and maintaining morale. The book highlights personal stories and photographs from surviving strikers, emphasizing the strike as the defining moment in Flint labor history.

3)	Growth of the Local: 1940s–1960s
As GM expanded after WWII, Local 659 grew into one of the area’s largest UAW units.
•	The organization of new units within Local 659.
•	The rise of the steward system.
•	Early contract victories, wage gains, vacation time, seniority improvements, and health/safety committees.

4)	Civil Rights & Social Progress Within the Local
The book devotes space to the role of African Americans, women, and immigrant members in shaping the local.
•	Anti-discrimination committees.
•	Women entering skilled trades.
•	Integration of leadership positions.

5)	Strikes, Bargaining & Plant Modernization (1960s–1980s)
Contract battles and major strikes during the second half of the 20th century, including:
•	UAW–GM bargaining cycles.
•	Local 659’s participation in selective strikes.
•	Technological changes, automation, and line-speed issues.
•	Safety fights and grievances.

6)	Community Role & Political Influence
Local 659’s influence went far beyond the factory walls.
•	Political mobilization for worker-friendly candidates.
•	Support for Flint charities, schools, and civic groups.
•	Labor solidarity across other locals and unions.

7)	Portraits of Members, Officers, and Retirees
•	Past presidents
•	Committee chairs
•	Retired members
•	Notable activists and shop-floor leaders

8)	Looking Forward: Challenges of the 1980s–Early 1990s
•	Declining auto employment.
•	Global competition.
•	The importance of solidarity and collective bargaining.
•	The ongoing mission of the local to protect workers' rights.

Notable events in The History of UAW Local 659: We Make Our Own History

1)	The Flint Sit-Down Strike (1936–1937) — how Local 659’s membership supported sit-downers, and the strike’s role in forcing GM to recognize the UAW.

2)	Founding and Early Organization of Local 659 — the local’s establishment, early organizing drives, and the conditions that made unionizing necessary.

3)	Recognition by General Motors / First Contracts — the negotiation and ratification of initial collective-bargaining agreements that produced wage, seniority and benefit gains for members.

4)	WWII Mobilization and Postwar Expansion — the boom years: wartime production, membership growth, and the immediate postwar period when the local solidified gains.

5)	Major Strikes and Contract Battles (mid-20th century onward) — the local’s participation in selective strikes, plant-level walkouts, and notable bargaining standoffs that defined shop-floor power.

6)	Plant Modernization, Automation, and Layoffs (1960s–1980s) — episodes documenting technological change, the resulting disputes over work rules/line speeds, and rounds of layoffs/closures that reshaped membership.

7)	Civil-Rights and Inclusion Efforts — the rising role of African-American members and women: campaigns against discrimination, efforts to place minorities and women into skilled trades and leadership roles.

8)	Community & Political Action — Local 659’s political endorsements, get-out-the-vote drives, civic philanthropy, and partnerships with other community organizations in Flint.

9)	Retiree Issues and Pension/Healthcare Battles — coverage of retiree organization, pension negotiations, and health/benefit struggles important to older members.

10)	Anniversaries, Memorials and Oral Histories — commemorative events, reunion chapters, and the recording of oral histories and photographs that preserve member memories.

Editors / Contributors

Donald “Don” Mosher
Mosher helped compile Local 659’s institutional memory, working with the local’s history committee to draw together archival records, oral histories, and photographs of the union’s past.

Al Anthony
Contributor/editor

Rudolph (“Rudy”) Armstrong, Sr.
Rudolph Armstrong, Sr., born May 16, 1936; died February 18, 2023. A long-time UAW Local 659 member. He graduated from Flint Northern High School and completed a tool-and-die apprenticeship.