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Widow
with a Message
ILWU president Harry
Bridges sent this letter to all Coast Longshore and Clerks locals:
Dear Sirs and Brothers,
I recently asked for and received permission from Mrs. Shepard of Aux
#4, whose husband George W. Shepard, member of the ILWU Local 32,
Everett, passed away in August of last year, to reprint for the workers
in our industry her eloquent letter which should be given serious
thought by our membership.
Mrs. Shepard's letter follows in full:
Brother Bridges,
This is a letter for these hard working hard-nosed longshoremen who, no
matter what the state of there health are going to work -- regardless.
They mean to do right by there families, but I am a good example of this
idea.
My husband had a heart attack in 1957. After negotiations with the
insurance company, they decided it was due to emphysema. He took up
barbering on a rehabilitation basis; worked at that a few months and
went back longshoring. The doctor tried to get him to retire -- but no!
He had two more attacks then on July 9, 1965 he had a heart attack at
11:00 am and stayed on the job till 4. He refused to take the doctors
orders; passed away at home on the 11th of
August.
So here I am age 56, four major operations, no training. Can't get any
insurance as I am too sickly, so I have to work at anything I can get.
Lost the pension, all hospitalization and medical. Got
a settlement , but that won't keep me very long.
So I hope maybe this can be an example to some. He was a good union man.
I am an auxiliary member. I do have a home, thanks to the good wages of
the union. He was 62 -- but when they are too ill to work they should
stop and think. We can't predict our own time to die.
Respectively,
Mrs. Geo. W. Shepard (Widow)
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