Presidents Choice

My legatee, John Burns, (an experienced Union activist long before I cut my teeth on social justice and the labour movement) called the other day and invited me to visit my old office and staff, followed by lunch. When I arrived I soon discovered we had been joined by my predecessor and links partner John( or as his sister coined him the "Aged One") as well. John has blessed us with a visit or two on CLP over the years. (photo: l-r, John Burns, John Moore-Gough, alias the Aged One)

The 3 local union presidents reunional afternoon was very enjoyable, in spite of , or perhaps due to, the interuptions of periodic industrial crisis of one sort or another, as is the nature of the vocation of a Local Union President. The admin assistant, Barb, had been very busy, inspite of a horrific car accident, since my retirement. Barb (see her blog Lakeside Lair link on CLP) and her partner built a chicken coop at their home to supplement the worm farm they started a couple years ago. She graced us with a dozen homegrown eggs to sample at home. The three Union brothers swapped some old bargaining anecdotes and railway war stories and sat in on a few conference calls before heading for home and leaving the current president, Burnsy, to his duties.

When we parted company, the collective presidents agreed to rendezvous on the weekend at the Aged One's (AO) palatial Eclectic Victorian residence to tour the new 3 car garage and massive upstairs workshop he built over the summer (or the "shed" as the Dresden locals call it) and show John Burns all the renovations the AO had attempted, started and/or completed in the 6 years since he bought the property.

Come saturday, we caught the Aged One working on a brief for a discharged Winnipeg worker in preparation for a rep to argue the grievors reinstatement at arbitration. A worker in Regina had just been awarded reinstatement from the last arbitration brief the AO had authored for arbitration, so we were basking in his triumphant glory on kicking the shit out of an oppresive and terrorizing employer. In our ensuing discussion, I discovered that a dispute initiated on my watch, in my efforts for protecting railworkers pensions from the prying fingers of greedy and bloated corporate treacherous vermin, had also been resolved. Coles notes version; in defense of the workers, the Union blocked a hostile employer from gouging pension entitlements through a covert and evil corporate policy to cut jobs by revving up unjust dismissals while denying pension payments for these terminations. After more than 2 years, the settlement was mediated in the workers favour ....complementing a menu for an exhilirating and perfect afternoon.

But I digress, the house is a work in progress and reminded me of a movie I once saw called the Money Pit. Nonethelss, if ever I had to testify on the determination and tenacity of someone, it would be John. He would undoubtedly be the leading prospect to complete the mission to restore the grand and soveriegn vestiges of the home that I have lovingly coined "Twin Peaks". The shed is a sight to behold. The lower level is massive and constructed with the absence of any supporting posts. It leaves the advantages of a space completely unobstructed and expansive. The wood workshop (above ) is nothing short of lavish. I can safely speculate that the locals tag of a "shed" for AOs garage must be the brunt of many well meaning chuckles at the Royal Canadian Legion watering hole down the street in Dresden. After getting AO to whip up some cuppacinos and wolfing down some chow we all went back to our lives. Some of us, credible and regular and some, dramatically backstopping one crisis after another for the welfare of the workers. Be careful out there Burnsy and give em hell.