Vale cobber

Ron Connelly

Ron Connolly, Terry Rawlings, Don McInytere, John Marshall, William Leslie, Bob Newtown, Walter Bowers, Bill Worthington

Ron Connolly: Champion Fighter

Ron Connolly, wharfie, seaman, soldier and state secretary of the union has died.

Ron finished his working life as secretary of the Port Adelaide Branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation. But that was not his only top job. Ron was also a boxer holding the State title in his division.

As a soldier Ron regretted serving in Korea but the experience steered him into an active life in the trade union movement and left politics. His involvement in local council affairs included organising a team of progressive workers to be elected and join him on the council. This team was able to change the rate collection formula and shift the financial weight from ordinary rate payers onto big business and industry. Ron became the chair of finances and was always conscious of protecting the workers' interests. His ability to handle financial matters was put to good use as treasurer of the Semaphore Workers' Club, a position he held until his death.

Ron Connolly confronted his imminent death with admirable courage. The last time I visited him he was planning his funeral service to make sure it reflected his many years as a Communist.

Ron wasn't the sort of bloke who would have died wondering - he was always prepared to have a go.

Brian O'Neill

MUA Retired Member

Don McInytere: Lifelong Mate

Tony Valera (below right) was one of many comrades who bid a fond farewell to veteran wharfie and activist Don McIntyre in Port Kembla in August.

Don (centre) joined the industry in 1947 as a 17 year old waterside labourer in Sydney before moving to Port Kembla where he sat on the Committee of Management of the branch and the Port Committee until his retirement at age 62.

He and Tony Adcock was a delegate on the wharves in the seventies the Liberian Flag of Convenience ship Don Reynaldo sailed into port. On board a dispute was brewing. Filipino seafarer Tony Valera got word to the wharfies about the crew's plight. Don and his work mates walked off the job. Then, as a member of the port committee, Don and Tony helped get all the maritime unions involved.

An inspection of the ship's books found that while the crew signed up for 900 pesos a month, $US127, they were in fact paid only $35 per month. The Filipino seafarers refused to sail the ship and the Port Kembla maritime unions backed them. Tug workers announced they would not move the ship out of port and the dispute was won.

But Tony decided to jump ship in Newcastle and headed back to Port Kembla after the captain threatened he would be killed when they reached the Philippines.

The unions again sprang into action to protect him and while the matter was being sorted out Tony was snookered away, firstly into hiding at the home of Stan Woodbury and later with Mike Clunee and myself, where he lived for some months.

After the union contacted the then Minister for Immigration, Al Grassby, Tony got temporary status and was able to come out of hiding.

The story had a very happy ending. Tony got permanent residency and later got away as a peggy on the Australian coast where he sailed until his retirement. He was able to bring his family to Australia after being parted from them for some years. He also won the lottery and bought a home in Wollongong where he lived happily ever after, remaining mates with Don until the end.

This change in one man's life was brought about by the solidarity and support offered by Australian maritime workers, not least Don McIntyre. It is just one story among hundreds of the generosity afforded to those who are in strife.

"We would not have been able to build the strength within the union without contributions like Don's," said National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. "His dedication to the union and his work mates was political as well as industrial. He will be fondly remembered for his straight talking, knock around sense of humour and loyal dedication to those around him."

Doreen Burrow

Port Kembla

John Marshall: Old Mate

It is with deepest sorrow that I advise members of the passing of life member John Marshall. John was held in the highest regard by all who knew and sailed with him.

He sailed on many ships but his greatest passion was always the John Hunter, which he joined with the original crew and remained on until it was decommissioned.

John lived in Tweed Heads after an accident forced his retirement. He will be sadly missed by all.

Farewell old mate.

Bill Coleman

Bill Pratt

Life Members

Terry Rawlings: Union Leader

Terry Rawlings, 67, long time WA branch secretary and seaman died in August. Terry joined the union in 1954 at age 16 and retired in 2001 after nearly a half-century serving the union under both the leadership of EV Elliott and Pat Geraghty.

"It has come as a great shock to me as I know it would be to all who knew Terry," said MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin. "He seemed barnacled on to our lives. Terry had a long committed and distinguished life in our union and was greatly respected."

Terry once described how he came to the West full of bravado "a cheeky young bucko". His first job out of Fremantle in 1957 was the State Ship Kybra, which he joined in Carnarvon. In the Seamen's Journal he recalled how he had heard the union was weak out west and he strutted up the gangway muttering to himself "I'll show these blokes a thing or three on how we do it in the east", only to find five members of the Communist Party aboard and the ship the most union active he'd ever been on.

It was these years sailing on State Ships that gave him his passion to fight to keep the fleet on the coast, first as a seafarer delegate and then as state secretary for the union. Terry ran massive political campaigns for State Shipping Service to get the Kimberley run - a feat he described as "the dawning of a new era."

"It's the first time in my experience that the shipping service has acquired a vessel that wasn't obsolete," he wrote.

In the seventies the SUA Save State Ships campaign to get the WA Labor Government to invest in an extra couple of ships was so successful the government changed its policy and came out in support of the service.

It was also the years sailing up the west coast on State Ships as a young seafarer that gave Terry the connections and understanding of developing ports of the north west and Aboriginal settlements in the Pilbara and the Kimberley.

Terry was WA Secretary of the Seamen's Union of Australia from 1972 until 1991, replacing Desmond Dans after he took the seat of South Metropolitan for Labor at the 1971 state election. His appointment was endorsed unanimously by stopwork meetings. Terry already had experience as a relieving official together with wide work experience on ships, dredges and tugs.

MUA Branch Secretary Chris Cain listed Terry's many life achievements, from serving on the Federal Committee of Management of the SUA for the entire period of his leadership, to helping organise the fledgling offshore oil industry in Western Australia, which today provides jobs for 35 per cent of our seafarers, and for his efforts with the Kwinana Tugs and the tanker campaign.

His work with the International Transport Workers' Federation is also well documented, with Terry often personally dealing with issues on board visiting ships. The Seamen's' Journal (March 1974) reports how Terry personally helped Filipino crew on Greek flagged Aghois Nicolas get the same pay as the Greek seafarers. It is also down to Terry Rawlings that the union recruited its first members from the pearling industry with Thursday Island seafarers coming into the SUA in May, 1972, from the pearling vessels Merinday Pearl and Kuri Pearly.

The SUA agreement gave them a pay hike of $750 yearly; double leave entitlements, smokos, meal and bed allowance as per the seagoing award and benefits of the navigation act for sickness and injury.

During his time in office Terry worked closely with Paddy Troy, playing a significant role in developing maritime unity between the Merchant Service Guild (AMOU) and the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE), the Waterside Workers' Federation and the SUA.

Terry Rawlings also fought hard in the political arena. He recalled vividly in the Seamen's Journal the day Governor General John Kerr sacked PM Gough Whitlam:

"I was out in the middle of Cockburn Sound aboard a tug at anchor conducting a meeting. I didn't hear of GG Kerr's dastardly deed until 2pm Perth time when Alan Oliver, the galloping gourmet, put me in the picture and asked me what we were going to do."

Seamen on the ships and tugs in WA walked off their vessels. Wharfies walked off too. And when the maritime unions called a stopwork meeting in the Buffalo Club Hall in High Street all three Perth TV stations were there.

Red neck governments were well known to Terry. Like Queensland, WA had more than its fair share of them. When police arrested union officials Jack Marks and Laurie Carmichael, SUA port delegate Tom Burdett and bosun Vince Healy for 'illegal assembly' in Karratha in June 1979, the branch called for a 48 hour blockade of WA by land sea and air unless the charges were dropped.

Paddy Crumlin described Terry Rawlings as a union official in a fighting time; active in the ALP, in support of international seafarers and international solidarity from South Africa to Vietnam and Chile, as well as organising industrial stoppages, particularly against the anti-union Court Government and its attack on unions and delegates.

"He was a great manager of the branch and believed that the success in the WA branch was an understanding and strong relationship with the membership," he said. "This probably didn't do his liver much good but may have been an important influence in his sponsorship of the Commercial Hotel we used to own in High Street, a uniquely Western Australian experience enjoyed by many workers from time to time."

An estimated 300 comrades, friends and family attended the service in August with a full house reported at the wake held in the union rooms afterwards.

"Terry has stood here many times over the years as secretary of our union, giving the eulogy for our old members as they passed on. Now, too soon, it is his turn," said lifetime comrade Cliff Seeber. "He was one of a good many whose actions and usually wise decisions affected many of our lives and he will always be remembered fondly."

The death notice placed by the Branch read: "Deepest sympathy to Jeanette, Tony, Lisa, Lara and families on the sudden loss of Terry - a truly wonderful man, a loyal friend to all and a great unionist who led the SUA in Western Australia for many years. Terry was a mentor to many young seafarers during this period and he continued as a valued life member of the MUA. He never stopped supporting the union he loved. May you have fair winds and following seas. Vale Comrade. Members, officials and staff of the Maritime Union of Australia, West Australian Branch."

Sadly Missed

We, the crew of the North West Sandpiper would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Jeanette, Tony, Bob and families on the passing of Terry.

Will be sadly missed by all union members, past and present, and everybody who knew him. Vale Comrade.

On behalf of the MUA crowd.

G.McCarney,2164

C.King, 9127

G.Power, 936

Vale Comrade

It is with great sadness and much regret that I'm writing this on the passing of Terry. On behalf of MUA crew on the Maersk Server we would like to pass on our deepest condolences to Janette, Tony and Lisa on the sad passing of Terry,a devoted husband, father, grandfather and unionist. He will be sorely missed by all. Vale comrade.

David Ettridge

Union No: 4992

Well respected

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Terry's family. A well respected man who will be sadly missed.

MUA crew

Safe Concordia

William Leslie: Staunch Unionist

William Charles Leslie, better known on the coast as "Bananas", passed away in the Manning River Base Hospital, Taree, after a short illness. He was born in Fiji 77 years ago.

Bill first shipped out of Fiji on Carpenter ships. In his early twenties Bill joined the Seamen's Union of Australia and sailed as a Peggy Wiper out of Port Kembla. Later he transferred to the Sydney pickup.

Bill lived all his working life around the Coogee Bay area.

As a staunch unionist, he never missed a union stop work meeting and understood the union struggle, sailing against the tide of the capitalist ship owner and their friends in government.

Bananas last ship was the TNT Express. After he retired he moved to Taree where he enjoyed having a Tooheys Old, a bet and cooking John Howard.

John Ryan

Union No: 1517

Bob Newtown: Dapper

On behalf of his wife Penny and daughter Elle I write to report of the sad and sudden death of former steward Robert "Little Bob" Newton.

Bob had a fall while renovating his new flat and punctured a lung. Complications set in and sadly he passed away in late 2004.

Bob went to sea for some 30 years and his last ship was MT Canopus. He had a great love for jazz and was known for the dapper way he dressed.

Bob grew up in Paddington and spent much of his time at the RSL where he could be found at the TAB having a punt, which he also loved.

Vale "Little Bob"

Errol Freney

Union number 5139

Walter Bowers: Great Seaman

Walter Bowers, 'Wally' to all seamen who had the privilege to sail with him died in July in Jeffersonville, Indiana USA, aged 95. I first met Wally back in 1948 and our friendship lasted these past 50 odd years. During that time we sailed on several ships together. Wally started his sea career in 1926, aged 16 and retired in 1974. He first sailed in the American Merchant Marine, then a short stint in the United States Navy before returning to sail merchant ships.

His first meeting with Aussies was in the Borneo Campaign in WWII when he skippered a landing barge with Aussie troops. His first ship was the Garland line freighter, S.S. Norlina which ended in tragedy. With 30 seamen in the crew the ship founded on rocks off the Californian coast. At an enquiry the seamen claimed that the officers were drunk. In 1937 Wally was caught up in the Spanish civil war,both he and his shipmates were a witness to the tragedy around them.

When America entered the war December 1941, Wally kept sailing in the Merchant Marine.

It was in 1947 that Wally appeared on the Australian Coast and joined the Seamen's Union. Later he was to take out Australian citizenship. In April 1951 found him once again on the "Bridge" as 2nd mate aboard the M/S Arctic running between Brisbane and Guam. However, Wally was more contented in the Seaman's Union than on the bridge of a ship and he was with us when he finally retired in 1974.

As a tribute to Wally may I just conclude by saying that.... Many of us have reached the years when memories are very dear. Of shipmates and comrade-ship that grew in strength from ship to ship. But mates are lost be it peace or war, doing a job they have done in years before. Some died young, others old good shipmates be they meek or bold. So let us raise our voice to day to a great seaman "Wally Bowers". Remembering him then as we knew him then. Being sorry we're not sailing together again.

So, me old mate Wally, where ever you may be, may calm seas and a fair wind be with you always.

Sincerely

Retired SUA member

Frank Finch

Bill Worthington: Union Man

Worthington by name and nature, Bill was a proud MUA life member who departed our ranks, aged 85, in July. He had suffered a long respiratory illness.

After WWII army service, he originally shipped out of Melbourne serving down below. He survived the fire on board the shell tanker Bellana when she caught fire at Gore Bay several years ago. Like several of his shipmates he remained some eight - 10 years with Bellana eventually taking her to Singapore where she was sold.

Due to Bill's endeavours as social secretary (and firmly in charge of the beer tap) he helped to make her a happy ship without fear or favour.

He ordered, stayed back to take delivery from Carlton United, and kept his books spot on, never a cent to adjust.

A solid unionist, he spoke his mind fearlessly and doggedly - truly a terrier!

Upon his retirement he took his family to Queensland's Sunshine Coast and when fit enough he would visit Brisbane for various union activities. Our families kept in touch regularly, but the last time I saw Bill was during the massive May Day demonstration opposing the 1998 Patrick lockout. Bill carried his oxygen bottle then, and it grieved him that he was unable to join together with us in the march.

Steadfast, tolerant, courageous, and sometimes recklessly honest, it was more than a lasting pleasure to sail together. You'll live on in the minds of many, old mate. May your days in Fiddlers Green be filled with the spinning of tales, in your uniquely humorous style, as you entertain old shipmates.

Vale William Worthington.

Our condolences to all his family.

Paddy and Kay Berry

MUA Veterans