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In 1978, the Brazilian metal workers of the ABC Paulista region initiated an important wave of strikes and de facto started writing a new chapter in Brazil’s recent history, characterized by a new relationship between intellectuals and union members, the strength and intensity of which was variable and dependent on the position of these actors in the political field, especially after the return to democracy. This paper analyzes the ways in which two generations of unionists have developed an activist habitus shaped by different repertoires: everyday union activities and codified political expertise, accumulated mostly through political training classes designed and negotiated within an ‘implicit alliance’ between the metal workers and the intellectuals, especially those teaching in the universities.