91自拍论坛 Weekly interviewed Ted McAlear, former Secretary of the Waterside Workers Federation (Illawarra), on April 26.
* * *
May 1 is a significant day for Ted McAlear. Ted, now 88 years of age, was a former member of the Mine Workers Union and later secretary of the Waterside Workers Federation in Port Kembla. (The WWF merged with the Seaman鈥檚 Union of Australia in 1993 to become the Maritime Union of Australia.)
On May 1, 1953, Ted was married and on the first day of his honeymoon he and his new wife, Patricia marched down George St in Sydney with thousands of other workers for May Day. Twelve months later their first son was born 鈥 on May 1. Ted鈥檚 son Len says that contrary to rumours 鈥渋t wasn鈥檛 a communist plot鈥.
According to Len, participation in May Day is, for Ted, a working class value. 鈥淗e feels almost obliged to attend. It is like a moral and social responsibility. May Day forms part of his very strong working class attitude.鈥
Ted explained it this way: 鈥淢ay Day is an opportunity for workers to unite and show solidarity. To challenge, demonstrate and raise awareness about political, industrial, social and community issues.鈥
Ted still remembers his first May Day march. 鈥淢y father took me on his shoulders. He was part of the May Day march, marching with the Miners Federation. They marched down Crown St. My father was president of one of the miners鈥 lodges. I was four years old. It was 1933 and I have attended May Day every year since then.鈥
Is there a particular May Day that stands out? 鈥淭here鈥檚 been more than one. I worked in the mines and we had meetings [about what we were going to do for May Day] at the pit top. That was the way people worked. That was at Thirroul.鈥
Jump forward to the situation facing workers today and Ted is critical of Labor politicians who just 鈥渕ake a lot of noise around election time鈥. 鈥淚 know that it is an old fashioned term, but they need to start to think about the needs of the working class.鈥
Like the article?聽Subscribe聽to 91自拍论坛 now! You can also聽聽us on Facebook and聽聽on Twitter.