[HSA Strike 1975 raw #4]

Raw footage for HSA Strike 1975. The strike began on October 27th, 1975, and lasted for 18 days—the longest and largest doctors' strike in the US. The strike was organized by the Housestaff Association (HSA), a union of residents and interns. They were protesting against the working conditions and poor facilities at Cook County Hospital, Chicago's only public hospital which mostly served the city's poor and uninsured. This tape features footage from after the strike, particularly of a speech by Dr. Quentin Young, Chairman of Cook County Hospital. Even though Young had advised against the strike, he also decided not to discipline any of the strikers, and was subsequently fired. He later sued the hospital for unlawful termination, and was ultimately reinstated.

00:00Copy video clip URL This footage is related to tapes 16510, 16511, and 16512. An audience of doctors and health care workers clap as someone finishes a speech. The tape fast forwards.

00:33Copy video clip URL Dr. Quentin Young, Chairman of Department of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, in mid-speech says that there’s a myth of one class system of care. The tape rewinds. He talks about how the immigrants were being denied certain medical treatments. He says just a few days after the 18-day strike the hospital is back to where it was operating before the strike. He says time is running out. The tape suddenly fast forwards.

05:03Copy video clip URL A man in mid-speech is telling of a patient who had a heart attack and could not afford private care, only public hospitals. Where will he go if places like Cook County Hospital don’t exist?

06:03Copy video clip URL The tape fast forwards. Young is talking again, but his speech is cut off in the middle.

07:23Copy video clip URL Another man is in mid-speech saying that the Governor needs to know how we feel about the governing commission, so we need to write to the selectors, commissioner, and apply pressure so that control can be brought to the people who care.

08:13Copy video clip URL The tape fast forwards. Interview with a man after the meeting who says he and his colleagues are here to show the support of the Latino community and oppose the firing of Doctor Quentin Young. The tape fast forwards.

08:55Copy video clip URL A man says the meeting is adjourned. Repeat of the previous interview. The man says Latino patients were misdiagnosed because the medical staff could not properly speak Spanish. It turns out there were nine such cases. He says they feel there’s a need for interpreters at the hospital, and he thinks the doctor’s strike was great because it’s not often doctors get together on behalf of the people. He says he doesn’t want to see the hospital cut back to 500 beds, and that a decision like that shows people don’t understand the needs of the people.

11:35Copy video clip URL The tape fast forwards. A union steel worker is interviewed. He says he’s laid off and is worried about what happens to the poor people if public-serving hospitals like Cook County aren’t adequately supplied or if they close.

13:40Copy video clip URL The tape freezes frame. Another man, an insurance rep for the union, is in mid-interview talking about medical mistreatment and how they were able to win their negotiation for better medical care. He says he’s here to pay tribute to the doctors who hit the picket lines and stood up for the people.

15:44Copy video clip URL Cut to a man in mid-speech leading a group discussion. This cuts abruptly to the beginning of the footage again. A group of young people are talking about the organization needed to provoke social change. There’s a need to build a caucus or committee. He suggests they go to the upcoming governing commission’s hearing on the budget to ask questions regarding how the new budget will or will not affect layoffs.

19:26Copy video clip URL Black

20:08Copy video clip URL END