Genora Johnson Dollinger

Genora Johnson Dollinger (April20, 1913October11, 1995) was an American union organizer and labor activist, best known for helping to organize the Flint sit-down strike in December 1936. Dollinger organized both the Women's Auxiliary and the Women's Emergency Brigade in the strike, who helped United Auto Workers in labor fights across the country. Dollinger was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.

Life and work Genora Albro was born on April20, 1913. She grew up in Flint, Michigan, and went to Flint Central High School. She married Kermit Johnson, who then was a factory worker at General Motors, in 1930. Worker complaints at the time included soaring temperatures in the factory, threats of being fired, long shifts, and sexual harassment of women.

On the night of January11, 1937, Dollinger organized the Emergency Brigade to protect strikers inside the factory, Liz Svoboda states that the all-female Emergency Brigade "immediately distinguished itself as an organization of women uninterested in domestic responsibilities", and adds that Genora "said that she would not use the word women in the title of the brigade lest someone thought they were there to feed and cloth, not fight in the streets. The women of the EB carried bats, cudgels, chains, and whips under long winter coats. They wore matching red berets and armbands to stand out in crowds and promote solidarity". The strike "crippled" GM, and the company's eventual settlement was considered a critical victory for the United Auto Workers labor union. Later investigation by Senator Estes Kefauver determined that corporate leaders hired the Mafia to attack Dollinger along with other UAW officials.

Death and legacy Dollinger died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on October11, 1995. She also appeared in the BBC documentary The Great Sitdown Strike.

Dollinger was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.