Photo: Jay Willett
LYNN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Manufacturing workers past and present digitized history at the Lynn Museum on Saturday, celebrating the 90th anniversary of Local 201.
The exhibit walls were lined with photos, testimonials and stories from General Electric (GE) workers and beyond who played a part in the U.S. Labor Movement. Retirees and working families were encouraged to share video testimonials and scan documents to preserve their legacy forever online.
“Future generations, scholars, workers and activists [will be able] to use, see and celebrate so that we can do it for another 90 years,” said IUE-CWA Local 201 Union President Adam Kaszynski.
UMass Boston Labor Studies Professor Nick Juravich said professional school archivers were on the scene to immortalize these milestones.
“You hear people talking about learning from their parents who walked the picket lines in the ‘69 strike, or grandparents who were in the ‘46 strike,” said Juravich. “This Local is the first independent industrial, meaning wall-to-wall organized union, that [won] recognition from General Electric.”
Retired workers showed their appreciation for the ones who came before them and hoped to help the next generation succeed.
“If it wasn’t for what they did in ’69 then we couldn’t have done what we did,” said former GE employee Joyce Wallace. “And if it wasn’t for what we did, present Local couldn’t do what they’re doing.”
WBZ's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.
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