In Solidarity We Stand

On behalf of the Executive and membership of Local 273, we are pleased to welcome you all to the 150th anniversary website for Saint John Longshoremen.

Our anniversary is a momentous event; commemorating the fact that 150 years ago, Saint John longshoremen formed the very first trade union in our nation's history. The St. John Labourer's Benevolent Association was not only the first trade union in Canada, but also the first longshoring union in all of North America. Those facts are indisputable.

There has also been some indication that those same brave and hardy dockworkers, back in the year of our Lord, 1849, may have also framed the very first dockworker's union in the entire world.

Recently, at an International Dockworker's Conference held in Gottenburg, Sweden, the Swedish Dockworker's Union informed the delegates there that they had been doing some research into where and when the first waterfront union was actually conceived. Their investigation suggested that it was the dockers from the Port of Liverpool, England and in the year, 1849.

Whether they were first or we were first makes absolutely no difference to us, because we are so proud to be associated in any way with the Liverpool Dockers, those courageous and innovative trade unionists. As our present members know, it was the Liverpool Dockers who, during their historical struggle which commenced in 1995, structured the first ever support action network for dockworker unions around the globe.

It is also interesting to note that it was circa 1849 that the Port of Saint John was known as the fourth largest shipbuilding port in the world and was nicknamed, Little Liverpool.

Two facts support the appropriateness of this pseudonym; firstly, because of thousands of Irish emigrants who sailed from the Port of Liverpool and first stepped ashore in the New World at our port and secondly, because of the some one hundred and fifty-six ships which were registered at the Port of Liverpool, during that time span, most were built in Canada and most of those were built at the Port of Saint John.

We must also mention that many of those very same emigrants made Saint John, New Brunswick their new home. Most also were relegated to toiling on the Saint John waterfront; loading and unloading ships, such work being mistakenly thought of, at that time, as the lowest of occupations.

Oh how wrong those people were and oh what a proud legacy it is that we have been so privileged to inherit. Indeed, as we have indicated earlier, all trade unionists in this country owe a debt of gratitude to our forefathers and should take pride in their grand accomplishment.

We celebrate that accomplishment. As some of you may be aware, we have launched a book on the history of the local. In addition, we have previously launched an internet web site; our history page being the central feature of that site. Most of you, we hope, were also able to pick up a copy of our newspaper insert, it also showcasing our history and our present work on behalf of trade unionists and those, in our society, whom require assistance for whatever reason. That too, we believe, is a compliment to all trade unionists and to unions in general. The newspaper articles can be viewed on this special addition to our website.

A picnic was also scheduled, at Crystal Beach, for the children and grandchildren of our present members and retired members.

And, as a special initiative of this, our 150th Anniversary, we have designed plaques in the names of all our present members, retired members and surviving spouses which distinguish that all of them are now honourary members of our proud local.

We were most careful to include our surviving spouses, not only in memory of their deceased husbands, but in recognition of the fact that without the countless sacrifices of our mothers and our wives and indeed, our children, our work as trade unionists and as longshoremen would not, in most cases, have even been possible. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to all the women and the children of the waterfront.

Three people were honoured who are not of our immediate longshore family: the distinguished Wendy McGee, the eminent Robert Breen and the member for our home port riding of Saint John Harbour, the people's champion, Elizabeth Weir. To all we can say, we are sincerely thankful for the tireless contributions that these individuals have make to the quality of life for the Port of Saint John's longshore families. Their recognition, we might add, was by unanimous vote at our July Monthly Membership Meeting. That speaks, we would hope, to the esteem in which we hold these individuals.

In closing, please permit me to say, on behalf of all those who worked so hard to make this celebration a success: we sincerely hope that you can appreciate all our anniversary initiatives, including this new addition to our website.

Patrick T. Riley

Congratulatory messages, respecting the 150th anniversary, may be faxed to Saint John longshoremen at 1-506-635-6993.