Page 17 - We Worked for General Instruments: Part Two: The Conclusion

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

Farewell to G. I. Twas the day before closing, and all through the plant Everyone was loaded, even my aunt. The tools were returned to the tool crib with care, In hopes that the Mexicans would soon learn to repair. "We don't have our quota." Marie said with a huff. "You can't leave tomorrow, girls- we haven't enough." With slippery clutches and sticky keys, We'll never get out of here till the snow's to our knees. Line 6 was sure a great spot- A place where we worked, and laughed a lot. The pile-ups we had from bottom to top. But you have to admit, we enjoyed it a lot. They were coming and going eight hours a day. But finally Friday we finish with pay. No more will we work in the grease and the dirt. We're going home to bum ourold man's shirts! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust-- The tuners that left, we hope they rust. We hope you Cape Bretoners will now take heed: American companies we don't need! Our Last Farewell to the Girls of the Old G. I. Today as I entered the doors of the old Gl, My heart was so heavy I wanted to cry. But as I tooked up, I could plainly see, Everyone felt the same as me. And then as I glanced toward the door, Myrtle was there, cleaning the floor. For the people we worked for and the people we've met. Fond memories we can never forget. Like the poet wrote in the words of his song, Don't say goodbye, giris. Let's say, 'So long.' When 4:30 comes and we go out the door, Some we may never see any more. There's one last thing I would like to say At noon when the foreman gives us our pay: "No tears, giris. I'd like it better that way. "Let's keep the memories locked down deep in our hearts. And pretend things are the same as they were from the start. As the General Instruments plant shutdown neared. many workers at the plant received their severance pav (above). "Farewell to G.I." is said to be bv Karen Young, and "Our Last Farewell..." bv Rita Head. But we would like to know for sure. Please write. in, taking machines out, while we were still working. We would see them coming in and packing up machinery, and big trucks coming and picking it up and going with it. There was a lot of the machinery gone before we left. A lot of the lines were totally gone. They were stripped. There was nothing left but the line itself. There was nothing left on it--no machines, no nothing. (It must have felt very strange.) Yes, it was, to look down and see it all gone. Thinking--we would say-- we'd look around once in awhile and we'd say, "I can't imagine, now, all the girls that were there, and everybody's gone now, and it looks like such a...." It didn't seem like such a big building when it was filled. And when it was empty and you looked around, it really looked empty.... The lines were all there empty. All cleaned up. Nobody there. There was only about, maybe 100 of us going in, where there were 1200 going in. 150 YEARS OF SHIP REPAIRS TRADITION Good People Sea & Shore Services Inc. "You are welcome to be served by long tradition and high quality." ?? Ship & Industrial Repairs I Dry Docking (1000T) ?? Diesel Engines Repairs & Rebuilding ?? Propeller Repairs I Welding ?? Carpentry ?? Diving Services ?? Fueling Station Carmel Ship Supplies If we don't have it, We can get it! If we can't get it. It doesn't existL, Complete Stock of Fishing & Fish Plant Supplies SERVING THE INSHORE AND DEEP-SEA COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN 255 Commercial Street, NORTH SYDNEY, Nova Scotia (902) 794-4741 1362 Main Street, LOUISBOURG. Nova Scotia (902) 733-2209 255 Commercial Street • North Sydney DAY: (902) 794-4741 (office) ~ CALL 24 HOURS A DAY ~ NIGHT: 794-8235 or 794-4338 or 539-8634

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