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Conversations With Harry
By Ian Kennedy
I had a
last minute flight into San Francisco, as usual the plane arrived late. I didn't
have time to go by the hotel, so I hailed a cab to take me straight to the
bar. I gave the driver the address and we headed into town. I noticed the driver
kept glancing at me through the mirror, so I finally asked if there war a
problem?
"That's
a rough area your heading into. Are you sure you want to go there?"
I smiled, "Yes please, I'm meeting some people at the bar."
We were late. As I pushed open the door, I saw Harry sitting at the table
by himself. He saw me, wave and got up to greet me. "Thought maybe the
weather was too much for ya." He smiles as we sit then orders our drinks.
"Where are Henry and Jerry?" I ask. He's still smiling and I
notice, glancing at a table behind me.
"Well, seein' we're going into the holiday season, I thought we'd
keep things light."
He waves, I turn to see a couple getting up from a table behind me and
head in our direction. She is short and trim, an attractive Asian woman. He is
tall and slender, with an intelligent face.
We stand and Harry introduces us. "Ian, I'd like you to meet my
wife, Nikki." He pauses, gets a big grin on his face, "and her
husband, Ed Flynn. "We all sit, Harry has a quizzical look on is face.
"Sorry Harry," I laugh, "I met Nikki and Ed at the
university several years ago."
" O well." he shrugs and orders a round.
Ed turns to me. "Things sure have changed on the waterfront since
Harry and I were facing off. The people running the show for the employers don't
have
the background nor the interest in maintaining a positive
environment."
"That's right, "I responded. "The PMA is under the control
of a group calling themselves a waterfront coalition, lead by the Walmarts
and K Marts. Their main interest is to break the Union, do away with
manning, cut wages and no more benefits."
"That's a mouthful kid." Harry jumps in, "But I thought we"d
keep the evening light."
"But Harry, I thought that the reason you crossed over was to keep
an eye on how the Union was getting on." I responded, Nikki
intercedes on
Harry's behalf, "Harry
has always put the Union first, but he does like to enjoy himself once in a
while."
Ed turns to Harry,"Well Harry, you're the pro, how are
these kids going to deal with the problems ahead?"
"Education." Harry responds. "In our day we suffered from
the lack of a true union. Our kids went hungry. When we won the fight and
got the Union; Our kids grow up eating, breathing union. And we made sure
our kids got into the Union. We knew and they knew, The Union put the food on
our tables, got us the five day week, our vacation pay, pension and
medical benefits. Those getting into unions today haven't had that history. They
think the employers pay them that big money because they deserve it, not because
they earned it. How many of the new membership can tell you of the struggle to
win the right to be in our Union? How many of the rank-and-file know why the
government tried to deport me all those times? Education, that's your biggest
tool, use it."
I turned to Ed, " You've spent many years on the other side. What do
you see the employers going after on the next round?"
"Well,"
he responds. "The way I see it, they will continue their attack on
the Clerks.
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