George Hewison
Date: May 31, 2017
Interviewers: Sean Griffin and Bailey Garden
George Hewison grew up in Campbell River where he learned his unionism and politics at “the kitchen table” during the Cold War years. He was an organizer and executive member of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU) for many decades. He traces his involvement in many disputes and policy issues including the 1967 Prince Rupert strike, jailings of union leaders, injunctions, organizing on the East Coast, fishery policy and Combines investigations. Hewison was introduced to Marxism at UBC and was a Communist Party member. He headed the Vancouver Labour Council Unemployed Committee during the 1983 Operation Solidarity movement. He is also an accomplished musician and passionate about the power of music to deliver messages of social change.
Keywords: UFAWU; Communist Party; Prince Rupert; labour music; Homer Stevens; Marxism; Operation Solidarity; Native Brotherhood; fishermen; indigenous; injunctions; Jack Nichol; shoreworkers; jailings; Steve Stavenes; Nova Scotia; Davis Plan; clearance system; licensing; combines investigation; Pacific Salmon Treaty; CLC; Unemployed Action Centres; Art Kube