Support for Solidarity – Norm Richards, BCGEU President

Norm Richards [00:00:00] Well, certainly. I was not only President of the BC Government Employees Union, I was a vice president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, as well as vice president of our national union. So not only in B.C., but even at the national level, we were prepared to stand up to the government of British Columbia. I think we did. Solidarity grew, I guess, beyond all expectations. There wasn’t only trade unions affiliated to the Fed. I think all trade unions in the province supported Solidarity. Such as the Teamsters, which are very large, strong organizations and not affiliated to the family of labour in B.C. or Canada. So we were prepared for a battle, and then we also recruited teachers, for example, very strong supporters. They were outside of the labour movement, a union of their own right. Pensioners groups. Just about every organization that you can think of supported Solidarity.