Q: Cloud argues, "the emblematic moment of the period from 1955 through the 1980s in American labor was the tragic PATCO strike in 1981." Most unions were strongly opposed to Reagan in the 1980 presidential election, despite the fact that Reagan remains the only union leader  to become President. On August 3, 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization  union—which had supported Reagan—rejected the government's pay raise offer and sent its 16,000 members out on strike to shut down the nation's commercial airlines. They demanded a reduction in the workweek to 32 from 40 hours, a $10,000 bonus, pay raises up to 40%, and early retirement. Federal law forbade such a strike, and the Transportation department implemented a backup plan  to keep the system running. The strikers were given 48 hours to return to work, else they would be fired and banned from ever again working in a federal capacity. A fourth of the strikers came back to work, but 13,000 did not. The strike collapsed, PATCO vanished, and the union movement as a whole suffered a major reversal, which accelerated the decline of membership across the board in the private sector. Schulman and Zelizer argue that the breaking of PATCO, "sent shock waves through the entire U.S. labor relations regime.... strike rates plummeted, and union power sharply declined." Unions suffered a continual decline of power during the Reagan administration, with a concomitant effect on wages. The average first-year raise  fell from 9.8% to 1.2%; in manufacturing, raises fell from 7.2% to negative 1.2%. Salaries of unionized workers also fell relative to non-union workers. Women and blacks suffered more from these trends.
What enabled the Transportation department to fire the strikers if they did not return to work within 48 hours?

A: law forbade such a strike


Q: Baillie was born at Glasgow, the son of Baillie of Jerviston. Having graduated there in 1620, he gave himself to the study of divinity. In 1631, after Baillie was ordained into the Church of Scotland, acting for some years as regent in the university, he was appointed to the living of Kilwinning in Ayrshire. His abilities soon made him a leading man. In 1638 he was a member of the Glasgow Assembly, when Presbyterianism was re-established in Scotland, and soon after he accompanied Leslie and the Scottish army as chaplain or preacher. In 1642, Baillie was made Professor of Divinity, Glasgow, and in the following year was selected as one of the five Scottish clergymen who were sent to the Westminster Assembly. In 1649, he was one of the commissioners sent to Holland for the purpose of inviting Charles II to Scotland, and of settling the terms of his admission to the government. He continued to take an active part in all the minor disputes of the church. In 1651, he was made professor of divinity in Glasgow University, and in 1661 was made principal. He died in August of the following year, his death likely hastened by his mortification at the apparently firm establishment of episcopacy in Scotland.
How many years after graduating was Baillie ordained into the Church of Scotland?

A: 11


Q: Hoping to rebound from their shutout loss to the Buccaneers, the 49ers flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 12 NFC West duel with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.  San Francisco made the opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback Troy Smith found wide receiver Michael Crabtree on a 38-yard touchdown pass.  The Cardinals answered with kicker Jay Feely getting a 31-yard field goal, yet the 49ers responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Anthony Dixon.  San Francisco added onto their lead in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass from running back Brian Westbrook.  Arizona would hang on with Feely's 39-yard field goal.  Afterwards, the 49ers pulled away with a 38-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter from kicker Shane Andrus.
Which player scored the last touchdown of the game?

A: Brian Westbrook


Q: Sunday, November 5, 2006|Weather=67&#160;&#176;F (Partly Cloudy)With just 238 total yards and a host of dropped passes and mistakes, the Minnesota Vikings showed every negative effect of its injury problems and a short week of preparation after Monday night's loss to New England. But count QB Brad Johnson among those shocked by the 49ers sudden defensive acumen. San Francisco managed just 133 total yards with its own miserable offense, but got cohesive play from the same unit that gave up 41 points by halftime last week at Chicago. The Niners simplified their game plan and hung on, stopping Minnesota's final drive with 1:04 left. QB Alex Smith passed for just 105 yards and RB Frank Gore rushed for only 41 as San Francisco hung on for its eighth straight home victory since 1988 over the Vikings, now 4-4, who'll be shaking their heads all the way back to the Twin Cities after failing to mount any significant offensive attack. QB Brad Johnson passed for 136 yards but made three turnovers for the Vikings, whose final drive ended when WR Troy Williamson dropped an on-target pass on third down before S Mark Roman and CB Shawntae Spencer prevented WR Bethel Johnson from catching a desperate pass at the goal line. K Joe Nedney left Monster Park Sunday with a game ball after accounting for all of the 49ers scoring efforts. Nedney hit from 25, 30 and 51 yards out. The 51-yarder he had to kick twice after a game clock debacle. The 49ers, now 3-5, had just enough offense to back a shocking performance by their previously porous defense (which had allowed 150 points in its last four games), led by new starting LB and NFC Defensive Player of the Week Brandon Moore, who finished with 14 tackles and 1 sack. With the win, the 49ers advanced to 3-5.
Which team had 8 home wins in a row?

A:
San Francisco