It all began around April

Obviously it began a long time before that but April of 2016 is where our story will begin.

I’m working as a temporary laborer for Hutchinson Aerospace and Industry, a corporation with a manufacturing plant in Hopkinton Massachusetts. Our focus is on rubber on vibration dampening equipment, most of it produced in house and locally with rubber injection machines and stamped metal casings. I do 10 hour shifts Monday-Friday 5–3 assembling components for satellites, guided missiles, weapons systems and mounts. My speciality is making the engine mounts that connect the jet engine to the A350 air frame. They’re one of the few things in the factory that isn’t made out of rubber because of the temperature they need to withstand. We make them out of a stainless steel mesh similar to billow pads.

It’s a particular bleak Saturday in the shop. Management has been forcing people to work overtime. “48 hours notice”, they said, “you’re required to work 6 hours of overtime”, It wouldn’t be my first time dealing with some ridiculous and illegal working conditions at this shop but the work is easy and my coworkers are nice. I’m happy here, sitting at a desk in a empty warehouse, I made it though the winter, nothing can get me down. Not my terrible new boss or the shitty pay, family and personal problems, life is good, but I know it’s coming to an end.

I instinctively packed up my belongings and cleaned out my locker with no plans of quitting. I just don’t trust this place, they already fired me once and called me back, no explanation. Just broken English “you must work hard, very fast, we will be monitoring and recording everything” said the shop manager. He had this way about him, that you couldn’t talk to him on a personal level, he was very professional. Like most people at the shop this was the only job he’s ever worked. I didn’t care about any of this, I was going out to a bar with some of the guys after work.

To be continued…