rest of an assembly line to cease production. The workers in the rubber industry got the idea of using the sit-down strike from a strike that occurred at a baseball game that was played between union members from different factories. The players, who were union members, disliked an umpire who was not a union member, so the players decided that they would rather sit down on the field than play in a game that would be umpired by someone who was not a member of their union. The sit-down strikes in Akron, OH are considered to be some of the earliest origins of the sit-down strike, even earlier than the Flint sit-down strike of 1936-1937. The sit-down strike was used frequently by the rubber workers because of a few reasons. The most important reason for the sit-down strike being used is that it does not allow the factory's management to hire scab workers to continue production, because the sitting workers are occupying the space necessary for the work to be done. Another major reason as to why the sit-down strike was frequently used by the rubber workers was due to management's inability to use force in order to get the striking workers out of the way. Factory management would rarely use force to drive out striking employees because of the fear of damaging expensive equipment used in the manufacturing process. These reasons also allowed the sit-down strike to be an effective tool for the workers. Picket strike of February–March 1936 The large picket strike of February–March 1936 began in the Goodyear Tire factory, and then quickly spread to the rest of the rubber factories in Akron, Ohio. Late during 1935, the management of the Goodyear plant, which was by far the largest employer of rubber workers in the industry, introduced a plan for the reduction of hourly wages for workers as well as a move from six-hour shifts to eight-hour shifts. The reason for management's plan was to save money on labor. The move to eight-hour shifts from six-hour shifts would cause significant layoffs of around 1,200 workers, because with six-hour shifts, four shifts of workers would be employed compared to three shifts of workers being employed under eight-hour shifts. Eventually, Goodyear's management decided to go back to six-hour shifts because of the displeasure voiced by workers. During the early stages of 1936, shortly after Goodyear's management decided to go