Page 23 - A Visit with Winston Ruck, Steelworker

ISSUE : Issue 60

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/6/1

word was law. He could say, "Well, look, I want that fellow back there, on the backshift." So you had to do it in a way where he's not likely to catch you doing that. But he might. And he did sometimes catch us.... So he controlled you. (What's interesting to me is this: through all of this, you have a union at the ste'el plant.) Yeah, union wasn't very strong in those days. Not prior to the end of the war, the union was not all that strong. And it depends on who your union representatives were. If you've got union representa? tives who are of good will, a lot of the things that the foremen would do, they wouldn't get away with it. If he had the gall and the guts to challenge them. There weren't too many like that at that time. Few and far between. So although we had the union, it wasn't all that strong. December 18,1968: A new yearly production record of 841,000 tons of steel ingot, in front of the control panel of Number 6 Open Hearth that day were (front row, left to right) Winston Ruck, Open Hearth manager Joe i/lclsaac, Joseph Zac, Stephen Humenick, and (back row) Harold Kirton, Chesley Porter, Peter Marenick, John Nalepa, Gar Campbell, Mike Kowalchuk. discrimination and I don't want to lose this thought while I have it in my mind. But it became stronger and it became a force after the War. That's when I became interested in the union, in 195 6. (What do you think changed you, what made you take an interest in the union?) Be? cause I had a good friend, named Frank Smith, who later became financial secre? tary during my presidency. We both were elected at the same time in 1970. And a funny thing about it is, how fate.... I'm getting off the other story kind of, 'cause there's lots more to be said about Simply this, that Frank Smith was a well- respected man. I knew Frank--6 or 7 years older than I. But I remember him going to school. A fellow that we always had a great deal of respect for. He was a very ardent labour man. Did a lot of reading. Very in? telligent. And he always was interested in QUALITY FLOWERS AT REASONABLE RATES Wlowers&y;' ifts • HOSPITALS • WEDDINGS • FUNERALS • ANNIVERSARIES • CORSAGES • BALLOONS, ETC. K| OPEN SUNDAYS 10-12 ?? 562-0662 273 TOWNSEND ST. OUR REPUTATION SAYS IT ALL. .f # ' 4'- Lloyd IVIacPonald NISSAN {mm Our 32nd Year 124 KINGS ROAD SYDNEY RIVER Toll Free 1-800-565-9427 20 CAR SHOWROOM 1992 Pathfinder 4x4 NOW IN STOCK • Also Available in 4-Door • A&W; 539-7222 Metropolitan 562-1134 Agnew Surpass 562-3129 Munroe's Barber Shop Balloon City 562-7620 Olympic Shoe Repair 564-8112 Bank of Nova Scotia .... 539-6760 Radio Shack 539-4617 Bill's Pet Centre 539-2243 Reitman's 562-3177 Bi-Way 539-8860 Sam The Record Man 562-8598 Bojou 539-5596 Shoppers Drug Mart 562-1144 Brass Villa 564-9988 Sobey's 562-1762 Candy and Things 562-6292 Sony Store 562-8811 Carlton Cards. 564-6531 Sport Card Corner 562-3531 Cole's Book Store 539-6053 Super Touch Fashions.. .539-4454 Don's Fish & Chips 564-0002 Suzy Shier 539-5538 Fun Villa Arcade 539-2215 Take-A-Break 539-1908 Gals & Guys Hairworks . 539-1811 Tim Horton's 539-4287 Goldsil 539-7273 Uncle Chow's 564-6487 Heather Bowling Centre. 562-2695 Vanelli's Mrs 539-7882 Jeans Experts 567-1217 Zeller's 539-5600 Mark's Work Wearhouse. 539-0441 Zip Photo 539-1539 HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. MALL OFFICE • PRINCE ST., SYDNEY, N. S. Bl P 5K6 • 539-6912 HEAD OFFICE • 115 KING ST., STELLARTON, N.S. BOK 1S0 • 755-4440

Cape Breton's Magazine