Massachusetts
Massachusetts nurses win strike after only five hours
The nurses at Umass Memorial Medical Centre have won the demands of their strike after five hours' picketing.
The nurses walked out on Thursday after negotiations throughout Wednesday night failed to deliver. During the five-hour picket, an agreement was made and the nurses have managed to fight off a series of contract concessions.
Massachusetts nurses set to strike today
About 850 nurses are due to strike today at UMass Memorial Medical Center in the first strike at a Massachusetts hospital since nurses waged a 103-day walk out in 2001.
Despite talks yesterday between management and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, conflict remained over wage, healthcare, and pension demands, and the strike is set to begin today. UMass hospital has drafted in around 350 temporary nurses to be bussed across picket lines, to reduce the impact of the walk-out.
1916-1927: The execution of Sacco and Vanzetti
The story of two Italian-born anarchists, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, framed for murder and then executed for their beliefs.
"Did
you see what I did to those anarchist bastards?"
- Presiding Judge Webster Thayer
1912: The Lawrence textile strike
A short history of the strike of 20,000 textile workers, mostly women and girls who included native and immigrant workers, which won big concessions over wages, conditions and hours for the entire textile industry
At the turn of the 20th century, Lawrence, Massachusetts was one of the most important textile manufacturing towns in the United States. The mills in the area were principally under the ownership of the American Woollen Company, which employed about 40,000 people. The Company's consolidation of thirty-four factories across New England had a yearly output of about $45,000,000.
1860: The Lynn shoe strike
Howard Zinn's history of the strike of 20,000 US shoe manufacturing workers - men and women - in New England. Lasting several weeks, the strike won wage increases for the poorly-paid workers.
Class Struggle Beyond Unionism: Boston-Area Public Workers' Ferment. 1981-82
Goldner interviews Scott McGuire about the attempts of Boston Public Workers to resist the effects of proposition 2 1/2.
Worker resistance at a liquor company
An account of resistance at a closing-down alcoholic drinks company by Roy, a shipping clerk.
