Page 95 - William H. "Bull" Marah - Still Fighting

ISSUE : Issue 72

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1997/6/1

out of their pay." (They're going to be paying on a regular basis.) Yeah. He said, "Let me think about that." And then we went outside. "Aw," (my people) said, "you'll never get that." Walked back in the next meet? ing. "Mr. Marsh," he said, "that's a novel idea. That's ingenious." He said, "You were right," he said. "The bank only gives money to people who don't need it." And he said, "Our people. Now," he said, "this way here"--and he was ahead of me. He said, "All they have to do is work an extra shift or something. And they won't even know it's coming off of them." Instead of working five, they'll work six. To allow for that. You wouldn't believe it. The people that--well, God bless them, you know. They got clothes for their kids when they're starting school. They got stuff for their kids at Christmas time, and bicycles for them when they graded. They got recrea? tional vehicles, motorcycles, boats, cars. They got everything. Checked off through the credit union. That's a fact. How would you evaluate that? How would you evaluate it, eh? Now, those are the fringes that-- you know--those are the things that mean something to them. (And then, vacations.) Now here's the oth? er thing, you see. Most people, they think they're brilliant. And those (other) un? ions- -they'd negotiate six weeks vacation for somebody, or seven weeks and eight weeks, eh? And only two weeks vacation for everybody else. And they'd have to work about five years before they could get a third week, and all that. We had four weeks right away (for every? body) . Say I hired a new man on. Instead of start? ing with two (weeks vacation), we started with four. But everybody gets four-- everybody. Nobody gets five or six. See, my philosophy was simple: how would he need any more vacation than you? (Just because he's been around longer.) Yeah. All right. Now, that principle didn't apply to the wages (either). If you could do the job, you were there one year or 30 years--you both still get the same rate. Still fighting! Bill Marsh In the parking lot with members of the Goiden k Club, rally? ing them on, after giving a speech on the future of coal and Cape Breton. in a mine, everybody had to work. And even the auxiliary (people)--like the shop and all the rest of them. (What did that mean?...) That meant that you were practically guaranteed 40 hours a week, win or lose or draw. (You mean whether you worked or not, sometimes?) Well, they had to give you the work. And no man could be laid off, unless alternate employment was provided. They had to car? ry- -they were carrying a thousand men. (Because they couldn't provide them with alternate employment.) They had to keep them. I should have been put in the peni? tentiary! (That was in the contract.) Def? initely. (That unless they could find an? other job for a man, they had to keep him on.) Keep him on. See, the idea of the industrial end of the Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO) was to provide alternate employment. They never provided two jobs, for God's sake. The only alternate employment you got, you got it in the industry itself. We looked after ourselves through natural attrition-- people being pensioned off, people leaving the industry--pre-retirement leave, and Why Wait? Earn Your Diploma in 26 to 68 Weeks! Now--but more importantly than that--I had it written in the con? tract where--they had to give him 40 hours a week, under normal cir? cumstances. But we pushed that even past the normal circumstanc? es, that if one wall was working. Register Early Save! $50 to $500 Call Now for Details 567-0333 1-800-883-1148 Choose from Our Exciting Career Options: • Travel Consultant 'Tour Guide • Personal Care Worker • Security Specialist ' Paralegal ' Massage Therapist ' Special Events & Meeting Co-ordinator ' Home Office Small Business 'Dog Grooming ...can lead to an exciting new career In as little as 26 weeks! oafl.. National School of Learning 567-0333 225 GEORGE ST., SYDNEY, NS BlP 1J3 h onn ooo hT?o Admissions Office 567-0333 (Local), 1-800-883-1148 (Toll Free)! -000-003-1148

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