White Shirt Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
UAW sources describe White Shirt Day as an annual 11 February remembrance of the Flint Sit-Down Strike victory and worker dignity.
About White Shirt Day
White Shirt Day is observed by members of the United Auto Workers and others on February 11 to remember the Flint sit-down strike that ended in 1937.
The observance celebrates labor solidarity and dignity. Wearing a white shirt symbolizes the equal respect blue-collar workers should receive alongside office workers; it does not establish a public holiday.
Why White Shirt Day matters
The date invites reflection on workplace safety, collective bargaining, fair pay and the sacrifices of workers and their families.
The white-shirt tradition is a symbol of equal standing, not a claim that workers or employers share the same experiences.
History of White Shirt Day
Workers occupied General Motors plants in Flint during the 1936–37 sit-down strike; the strike ended on February 11, 1937 after 44 days.
UAW Local 276 describes February 11 white-shirt observances as a remembrance of the strike and its impact on organized labor. The strike anniversary and the subsequent tradition should not be confused with a statutory holiday.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United Auto Workers commemorative tradition
UAW Local 276 documents the union tradition; the original person who first suggested white shirts is not identified.
UAW members and participating locals
UAW Local 276 continues to describe local commemorations.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe White Shirt Day
Read union-authored histories and workers’ first-person accounts of the Flint strike.
Attend a locally organized union history program where participation is welcome.
Discuss workplace dignity and occupational safety respectfully.
White Shirt Day Facts
The anniversary is February 11.
The Flint sit-down strike ended in 1937.
The wearing of white shirts is a commemorative union tradition.
White Shirt Day Messages
Remembering the workers who stood together in Flint.
Honoring labor history and collective courage this February 11.
May the lessons of solidarity inform safer workplaces.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
UAW Local 276 — White Shirt Day (opens in a new tab)
Labor Organization
UAW Region 8 — White Shirt Day 2022 (opens in a new tab)
First Party Organizer
UAW — White Shirt Day history (opens in a new tab)
Labor Organization
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is White Shirt Day?
11 February annually in UAW tradition The documented recurrence rule is: 11 February.
Does White Shirt Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is White Shirt Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Auto Workers labor-history remembrance tied to the end of the Flint Sit-Down Strike. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes White Shirt Day?
The documented basis is: UAW sources describe White Shirt Day as an annual 11 February remembrance of the Flint Sit-Down Strike victory and worker dignity.. Supporting evidence includes UAW — White Shirt Day history. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is White Shirt Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: United Auto Workers labor-history remembrance tied to the end of the Flint Sit-Down Strike. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-09.
When is White Shirt Day?
February 11 each year in the UAW remembrance tradition.
What does the white shirt symbolize?
Equal dignity and respect for manual and office workers.
What historical event does the date recall?
The end of the 1936–37 Flint sit-down strike on February 11, 1937.
Is it a national paid holiday?
No; this union remembrance is not a general federal paid holiday.
Other observances on February 11
These observances are also listed on February 11, 2027.
112 Day
The Finnish Government states that 112 Day is observed every year on 11 February to raise awareness about safety and correct use of the emergency number.
Digital Learning Day
All4Ed launched the first national Digital Learning Day on 1 February 2012 and currently marks the campaign on the second Thursday in February.
Giving Hearts Day
Current Giving Hearts Day and Dakota Medical Foundation material identifies the event as a 24-hour giving day for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, founded in 2008 and held…
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
A/RES/70/212
National Foundation Day
Prime Minister’s Office of Japan
National Inventors’ Day
Primary federal records show that Public Law 95-463 designated February 11, 1979 as National Inventors’ Day and authorized a Carter proclamation; later federal instruments again designated…