Correspondence
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Summer 2001
From JERRY TYLER, our Foreign Correspondent Emeritus Extraordinaire
-another item from his diary of foreign travels.
"Another time, in Czechoslovakia, I'm being taken on a tour of the
Danube River port of Bratislavia. We go aboard a barge, which is loading
steel re-bar.
Some "suit and tie characters are holding a confab on deck. The
crane operator has a load hanging over the hatch.
Again without thinking, because it seems the natural thing to do, I put
the heel of my hand on the end of the load and lean into it. The crane
operator works with me, when Calto, the engineer who is guiding me around,
he and everyone else are grinning at me. "Until you put your hand on
that load everyone thought you were some kind of an official, not actually
a longshoreman!" Before we leave I shake hands with every guy in the
gang. My kind of people. We belong.
And in Luxor, Egypt, one morning, I'm down on the shoreline of the Nile
checking the erosion of the bank. It's getting too close to the foundation
of the Chez Farouk. A big motorized steel barge moves in behind me. A
sailor in a ragged galabiah stands on deck holding a coil of line. No one
is around to take in his bowline. I motion to him. He's surprised, a bit
doubtful, he hesitates, and then he throws me the line.
I pick it up and sign language "where do I tie up?" I follow
his pointing finger to a piece of steel railing sticking up out of the
bank, carry the line over and make a round turn. As the barge moves in I
take up the slack. When she touches and bounces away keep her snubbed,
paying out just a bit until she stops andcomes back. When she settles I
make her fast.
Then comes a warming moment I will never forget. We look at each other,
this Egyptian boatman and this retired Seattle longshoreman. We grin at
each other. No words are necessary we understand each other. We belong.
Can't see what I'm writing so hope you can read it. Check is for HOOK,
dues, etc.
If you can use story, feel free."
JERRY."
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 Harry
Bridges
Chair in Labor
Studies
Michael Honey,
Professor
----------------------------------------------
Center for labor Studies
Director; Kristina Anderson
Room 101 Smith Hall, University of Washington
Office Hours: Tues. & Wed.
1 - 4 p.m. and by appointment.
Phone: 206.543.7946
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