Lordstown Ohio's history of modern labor militancy

Within a few years of opening, the Lordstown automobile assembly plant experienced major labor upheaval that both highlighted the militant past of the United Autoworkers but also underscored generational differences in the workforce. The upheavals of the 1960s involved not just racial justice and anti-war sentiments but included workplace militancy

On March 5, 1972, the workers at General Motors’ plant in Lordstown, Ohio went on strike after authorizing it two days prior. They were angry about sped-up work at their factory, but ultimately this was a young and diverse workforce angry at the degrading and mind-numbing nature of industrial work. The 3-week strike received national attention as much for the generational rebellion it summed up as the labor strife itself. Employers and union leaders both feared the “Lordstown Syndrome” that seemed to be taking over American workplaces as young workers wanted more for their lives than a lifetime on the assembly line.

Work speed-ups on the line helped to initiate the 1972 strike at a General Motors assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. Although the strike’s impact was initially felt at GM, its influence quickly grew, informing the nation about the struggles of its young workforce, and influencing the content of congressional hearings and national studies.
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An additional factor was the demographic composition of Lordstown’s workers, and how the relatively young workforce affected union demands. Local 1112’s President was a mere 29 years old, and the average age of a worker on the Lordstown line was 24. As noted in Akron’s Beacon Journal, “these workers reflect the changing life style of today’s youth. Many wear their hair shoulder length, have grown mustaches or beards and come to work in hip-hugging, bell-bottomed trousers. They are probably better educated than any generation of workers in the history of American industry. They were taught to question traditional values and encouraged to stand up and be counted.”
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On March 3, 1972, Lordstown authorized a strike. Throughout the strike, difficulties for the workers continued, including problems obtaining Supplemental Unemployment Benefits (SUBs) which provide employees a percentage of their salaries during times of layoff or strike. However, by the end of the month, a settlement, although not one that could be hailed as a victory for either side, was reached. As described in the March 26, 1972 Special Membership Meeting minutes, the Local “kept everything we had, and made a few limited expansions in some areas.” The gains won by Local 1112 essentially returned the plant to its pre-GMAD state, including the elimination of the line speed-ups.