Fisherman's Road

HEADLINE: Ryan Cleary and other points of interest The following column was published in the Oct. 27th edition of The Shoreline News. Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), is shocked and dismayed by Ryan Cleary’s effort to set up a new fishermen’s union. The CLC has “long been looking to eradicate behaviour such as what you are attempting,” Yussuff told Cleary. The proposed new union was a “raid” on the membership of the FFAW-Unifor, he said, and an attempt “to create a role for yourself as its leader.” Cleary has touched a nerve, I’d say. He is certainly not the only critic to note the longstanding cosy relationship between the FFAW, which was set up a long time ago to protect the interests of fish harvesters, and the federal government, which controls and regulates the fishery. Just how much collaboration between the two bodies has gone on over the decades? And who has benefited from it? Would it not have been better for the fishermen and

I gave the following speech on Oct. 27th at the Albatros Hotel in Gander to start the founding convention of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL). Salt and pepper refers to the hair colour of most harvesters, who are middle aged or older.  Good morning,  Welcome to the founding convention of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador — or FISH-NL.  I ran into a fine crowd in the hotel this morning from Francois on the south coast.  They came a long way to get here — a three-hour boat trip, and then a six-hour drive One of the men in the group told me, “We’d better make this worth his while.” We’ll do our best, you can be assured of that. B’y, I don’t know about you, but I think the name FISH-NL has a real ring to it.  Fish is why we’re here, fish will keep us here.   The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador will be a union exclusively f