While walking in the brilliant sunshine at New Brighton Park in Vancouver, yesterday afternoon, I came upon this simple monument honouring the historic events of June 18, 1935 when longshoremen and their supporters attempted to reclaim their jobs. Dubbed The Battle of Ballantyne Pier, these longshoreman and their supporters clashed with local, provincial and federal authorities on that fateful day.
Union activities have often left me feeling powerless and in the midst of angry fights or discussions. And yet union activities have also won rights and benefits that would not be in place for many workers historically through to today, including rights and benefits that I personally enjoy. The vitality that I see and hear from those strong in their belief in the role that unions play in our society is really quite impressive.
There have been many times I have been intolerant of the union-management antagonist language and behaviour. Those of you that know me have probably heard some of my intolerance. I do not support or believe in violence. For some reason, this monument spoke to me yesterday. I thought of those that quite literally fought for their rights - not with words, but with broken bodies. Those longshoremen and their supporters did not win that particular fight, but continued to fight for what they believed in. The intolerance of union members is toward what are considered unfair labour practices for a broad range of workers. I do believe I have been humbled!
“Nothing dies so hard, or rallies so often as intolerance.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher
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