Interviewed by Sean Griffin

Terry Engler recounts his experiences growing up in a working-class family in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and his involvement with the Local 400 union, which represents tugboat workers on the West Coast. He describes the day-to-day work of a tugboat cook, the union’s militant history, his own role as a union leader and negotiator, and the challenges the industry has faced, including battles with the Seafarers’ International Union. Terry also discusses the union’s efforts to recruit and support Indigenous workers, as well as its international advocacy work through the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Terry’s long tenure with the union means that he has seen a lot of changes over time, and he discusses his role in maintaining its progressive traditions as he transitioned into retirement.

 

Key words:

Robin Hood Mills; Catholicism; Sharpeville Massacre; student protests; Amchitka nuclear test protest; theatre; tugboat industry; towboat industry; tugboat cook; deckhand; shiftwork; union meetings; Tom McGrath; Dave Crane; solidarity; scabbing; raiding; Jess Succamore; International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Local 400; Seafarers International Union (SIU); Inland Boatman’s Union (IBU); Canadian Seamen’s Union (CBU); women in tugboat industry; Seaspan; rank-and-file; Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB); succession plans; International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF); union dues; First Nations organizing; HaiSea; Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC);

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