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The Past
By PARKER JOHNSTON
Sitting in the Pensioners room looking across Alaskan
Way on a bright Wednesday morning I noticed they were tearing down old Pier 24
south piece by piece. There is a lot of good wood left in that old warehouse. I
was reminded of my first job on the Waterfront. It was the summer of 1951 I’d
just turned 16. My dad told me to go down to the longshore hall and I might get
some extra work. I did and was sent to Pier 24. When I got there the boss told
me I was on the high pile. I ask what’s the high pile. He replied, “you’ll
find out kid”. He told me to go sit in the lunchroom till he came and got me.
Four hours later he told me to go to lunch. I thought I was in heaven I hadn’t
done a thing and I was on the payroll at $1.82 an hour. When I got back from
lunch the ship was in and full of canned salmon, each case weighing 60lbs.
That’s when I found out what the high pile was. A jitney pulled 2 – 4
wheelers full of canned salmon and we started to pile the cases. We went 7 high
came out so far then went 7 high on top of the first 7 then went 8 high. Which
made it a total of 22 high all together. In them days we worked nine hours a
day. After 5 hours of high pile I was one tired puppy. I went home and laid down
(no supper). The next morning I couldn’t move so I had to check out. I spent a
lot of time at the salmon that summer and after listening to the old timers
telling me (to slow down kid you’ll last longer) I learned to pace myself and
guess what, it worked. I’m still here and still pacing myself. Them old timers
were smarter than they looked. I hope that applies to the present Rusty
Hooker’s.
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ILWU - PMA Benefit Plans Office
Seattle ILWU Pension Club
President
Dick Melton
Vice President
Bob Rogers
Secretary Treasurer
Parker Johnston
Recording Secretary
Pete Collen
Trustees
Bill
Lassiter
Carl Woek
Mike Caso
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