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The Education of Everett Richardson: The Nova Scotia Fishermen's Strike
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August 30, 2020
Human. Such in depth coverage of a fisherman's strike and yet reads like a novel. . .
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January 3, 2020The reissue of Silver Donald Cameron’s The Education of Everett Richardson is an important Canadian publishing event. First released in 1977, it is a riveting account of a fishermen’s strike in the early 1970’s, when about 250 Nova Scotia fishermen, including Everett Richardson himself, were engaged in a struggle for almost two years in order to create a union. As Cameron describes it in his new introduction, this strike was ‘a nineteen-month struggle that divided their province, made headlines across the country and became a rallying struggle for Canadian labour as a whole. They wanted the right to have a union. In the end they got one, but the process pitted corporations and legislators against fishermen and families, union against union, clergy against clergy. It was a bitter education in the realities of corporate capitalism.’
For many, talk of fishermen’s struggles and protests will sound like an echo from a Nova Scotia’s distant past, along with other historical accounts of class struggle and corporate oppression in the mid-20th Century. Representatives in fishermen’s organizations Nova Scotia will tell you different: in fact, these struggles are still happening today, but in different ways, and still have enormous consequences for the future of the province’s coastal communities. For example, one of the main arguments made against the organization of fishermen in the 70’s was that they were ‘ co-adventurers’ with the owner-companies, and not employees. Today with most of Nova Scotia’s fisheries- scallop, groundfish herring, clams, and much of lobster- in the hands of corporations, this is exactly the position the workers on those boats are in: ‘independent license holders’ on paper, but in reality employees, but more like sharecroppers on floating sweatshops. What Cameron’s book does so well is to show that these struggles are part of a continuous history, struggles that are deeply rooted, not only in our history and culture, but also in underlying power relations, which have changed only superficially in the last 50 years.
But beyond its value as a work of political and social analysis, the book is also a very readable story that strikingly draws out the way its characters are impacted by their collision with historical forces. This vividness might be largely due to the fact that Cameron was in fact there as a witness to the events he is writing about. You have the sense of the writer actually being in the room, talking close-up to the main actors in the drama. Just as a novelist use dialogue to portray his or her characters, Cameron describes real life characters by simply recording their own compelling voices. You get the feeling that nobody in this drama woke up one morning thinking that they would be involved in an historical struggle but that, because of their inherent home-grown values and deep sense of community, they found they had no other choice.
The result is a classic of political narrative quite rare in Canadian literature. If this were a film instead of a non-fiction book, it would stand with landmark documentary accounts of resistance like Pontecorvco’s The Battle for Algiers or Coppel’s Harlan County USA.
The Education of Everett Richardson is an important book, not only as a key document in Nova Scotian history, but also as a highly readable character study
of working people fighting for their rights, something we need now more than ever.
For many, talk of fishermen’s struggles and protests will sound like an echo from a Nova Scotia’s distant past, along with other historical accounts of class struggle and corporate oppression in the mid-20th Century. Representatives in fishermen’s organizations Nova Scotia will tell you different: in fact, these struggles are still happening today, but in different ways, and still have enormous consequences for the future of the province’s coastal communities. For example, one of the main arguments made against the organization of fishermen in the 70’s was that they were ‘ co-adventurers’ with the owner-companies, and not employees. Today with most of Nova Scotia’s fisheries- scallop, groundfish herring, clams, and much of lobster- in the hands of corporations, this is exactly the position the workers on those boats are in: ‘independent license holders’ on paper, but in reality employees, but more like sharecroppers on floating sweatshops. What Cameron’s book does so well is to show that these struggles are part of a continuous history, struggles that are deeply rooted, not only in our history and culture, but also in underlying power relations, which have changed only superficially in the last 50 years.
But beyond its value as a work of political and social analysis, the book is also a very readable story that strikingly draws out the way its characters are impacted by their collision with historical forces. This vividness might be largely due to the fact that Cameron was in fact there as a witness to the events he is writing about. You have the sense of the writer actually being in the room, talking close-up to the main actors in the drama. Just as a novelist use dialogue to portray his or her characters, Cameron describes real life characters by simply recording their own compelling voices. You get the feeling that nobody in this drama woke up one morning thinking that they would be involved in an historical struggle but that, because of their inherent home-grown values and deep sense of community, they found they had no other choice.
The result is a classic of political narrative quite rare in Canadian literature. If this were a film instead of a non-fiction book, it would stand with landmark documentary accounts of resistance like Pontecorvco’s The Battle for Algiers or Coppel’s Harlan County USA.
The Education of Everett Richardson is an important book, not only as a key document in Nova Scotian history, but also as a highly readable character study
of working people fighting for their rights, something we need now more than ever.
September 1, 2015
An educational read, I learned a bit of Canadian history, involving politics, labour, unions, religion and relationships within a free enterprise democratic society. I expected to gain more respect for unions by the end of the book, after having learned of the working conditions of the fishermen but instead I closed the book thinking that the unions had become corporations out for themselves just like the companies they negotiated with. The author said he was biased but was trying to be fair in his account which he certainly was. One chapter started with something to the effect " are you bored dear reader? Well imagine how the strikers were feeling ... stay with me as it gets better...". I liked his bit of humour but will admit I did quite a bit of skimming and realize it is possible I missed some points that could steer me into a different overall view. I think my overall view that the corporations, government , fishermen, unions and other organizations were and are made up of very respectable, ethical individuals as well as those on the opposite end of that scale. Outcomes depend on which of those individuals are more persuasive. I wish we could have a simpler system that could work on simple negotiations without middlemen, in which a divide was not made between management and workers, after all isn't everyone a worker for the same company.
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February 21, 2020Not all labour stories get the accolades they deserve, according to Donald Cameron. For him, The Nova Scotia Fisherman's Strike, 1970-71 is one such narrative seen through the lens of a fisherman named Everett Richardson. Of the 235 other fishers involved in this labour/management dispute, Richardson's story struck a chord with Cameron because it could "stand for all the others" involved.
For Cameron the Fisherman's Strike drove at the very heart of unionism---the right to strike. His analysis of this particular conflict demonstrated the ubiquitous nature of labour/management disputes and the harsh lessons they instruct. The "education" of Richardson is as much about his struggle to understand the powerful bond of unionism in the midst of threats and discouragement by powerful opponents. That education is transferred to the reader who is now compelled to examine any personal biases held about strikes.
The strength of Cameron's analysis flows out of his keen story-telling skills, derived partly at least from living among vocal Cape Bretoners in a fishing community and from his perceptive writing skills, well honed in writing some 19 other books.
Cameron weaves the notion that strikes act out the prophesies of capitalism, where corporate greed often clashes with the ascendancy of labour and the rights of workers. Today we have laws establishing minimum wages, paid minimum holidays and vacation, maximum hours, overtime pay, health and safety conditions, workers' compensation for accidents, unemployment/employment insurance, Canada/Quebec Pension and the primal right to form a union in the first place.
All of these victories were vigorously opposed by employers and governments. But they resulted from a complex conflict dynamic that is embedded within most strikes. Even in a democratic society strikes almost always invoke the authoritarian instincts of legislators and bureaucrats, usually protecting the interests of employers "for the public good". However, the law, reputedly designed by "neutral and impartial" democrats can fall harshly on workers. In this case, punishments against the strikers were harsh. For Richardson, it was nine months in jail for merely walking the picket line.
Cameron points out that strikes often bury the identity of the heroic leadership behind them. In this strike, this included the leadership of women, the spouses of the strikers who walked peacefully and supportively on the picket lines in Petit-de-Grat,Canso and Mulgrave. They were the moral strength of the 'men' in the fishing boats. Their reactions combined with the strategies to win the conflict.
Strikes have become flash-points of debate but are often quickly forgotten in the annals of labour/management history and in the media. Today unions organize strikes in more rational ways, to reduce violence and discipline workers. Much of the heat and emotion has disappeared from strikes, and the revolutionary overtones of strikes have clearly disappeared from these conflicts in the 21st century. Peaceful collective bargaining has become a more common method of conflict resolution.
The right to strike was first recognized by Canada's Parliament in the Trade Union Act 1872. But picketing remained a criminal offence until 1934, often resulting in injury and sometimes the death of workers. Long after it was no longer illegal, the idea of workers forming unions to protect their interests was still regarded with suspicion by employees and government. Cameron clearly describes how the fishermen faced these prejudices in their uphill battle for justice in the early 1970s.
In this case, the government took the convenient, albeit biased position that the fishers were not to be regarded as employees but as 'owners'. So their position was unequivocal--that because of this the workers couldn't have a union. Historically the fishermen were co-adventurers and "partners" working together and splitting the proceeds of their voyages among themselves. They were friends and neighbours who worked along side each other in a cooperative fishery until all that changed.
Cameron's narrative shows that by 1970, events had transformed the organization and character of the fishing industry in Nova Scotia. Off-shore fishing in the 1960s had modernized under the domination of well-capitalized Multi-National Corporations (MNCs. These large wealthy corporations now owned many of the fishing boats and the plants where the fish were being processed, priced and marketed. Fishermen had unwittingly (and often unwillingly) become blue-collar workers, wanting and needing a union for protection in a competitive free-enterprise business.
Besides his focus on the trials and tribulations of Richardson and his family, Cameron introduces the reader to a host of other colourful characters in some fishing communities in Cape Breton. The Glace Bay Cadegans, Louisbourg's union organizer Conrad Mills, Mulgrave's local president Jim Collins reflected the great seagoing traditions of Nova Scotia. They left their mark but took their knocks on principle and determination.
I liked reading this book and felt that Cameron had educated me in what it would be like firsthand to live through such a conflict. Still 42 years after its original release this highly praised book educates beyond Everett Richardson, reminding the reader that Nova Scotia's labour history is very important and should not be forgotten.
James J Guy Ph. D
Professor emeritus
Political Science
For Cameron the Fisherman's Strike drove at the very heart of unionism---the right to strike. His analysis of this particular conflict demonstrated the ubiquitous nature of labour/management disputes and the harsh lessons they instruct. The "education" of Richardson is as much about his struggle to understand the powerful bond of unionism in the midst of threats and discouragement by powerful opponents. That education is transferred to the reader who is now compelled to examine any personal biases held about strikes.
The strength of Cameron's analysis flows out of his keen story-telling skills, derived partly at least from living among vocal Cape Bretoners in a fishing community and from his perceptive writing skills, well honed in writing some 19 other books.
Cameron weaves the notion that strikes act out the prophesies of capitalism, where corporate greed often clashes with the ascendancy of labour and the rights of workers. Today we have laws establishing minimum wages, paid minimum holidays and vacation, maximum hours, overtime pay, health and safety conditions, workers' compensation for accidents, unemployment/employment insurance, Canada/Quebec Pension and the primal right to form a union in the first place.
All of these victories were vigorously opposed by employers and governments. But they resulted from a complex conflict dynamic that is embedded within most strikes. Even in a democratic society strikes almost always invoke the authoritarian instincts of legislators and bureaucrats, usually protecting the interests of employers "for the public good". However, the law, reputedly designed by "neutral and impartial" democrats can fall harshly on workers. In this case, punishments against the strikers were harsh. For Richardson, it was nine months in jail for merely walking the picket line.
Cameron points out that strikes often bury the identity of the heroic leadership behind them. In this strike, this included the leadership of women, the spouses of the strikers who walked peacefully and supportively on the picket lines in Petit-de-Grat,Canso and Mulgrave. They were the moral strength of the 'men' in the fishing boats. Their reactions combined with the strategies to win the conflict.
Strikes have become flash-points of debate but are often quickly forgotten in the annals of labour/management history and in the media. Today unions organize strikes in more rational ways, to reduce violence and discipline workers. Much of the heat and emotion has disappeared from strikes, and the revolutionary overtones of strikes have clearly disappeared from these conflicts in the 21st century. Peaceful collective bargaining has become a more common method of conflict resolution.
The right to strike was first recognized by Canada's Parliament in the Trade Union Act 1872. But picketing remained a criminal offence until 1934, often resulting in injury and sometimes the death of workers. Long after it was no longer illegal, the idea of workers forming unions to protect their interests was still regarded with suspicion by employees and government. Cameron clearly describes how the fishermen faced these prejudices in their uphill battle for justice in the early 1970s.
In this case, the government took the convenient, albeit biased position that the fishers were not to be regarded as employees but as 'owners'. So their position was unequivocal--that because of this the workers couldn't have a union. Historically the fishermen were co-adventurers and "partners" working together and splitting the proceeds of their voyages among themselves. They were friends and neighbours who worked along side each other in a cooperative fishery until all that changed.
Cameron's narrative shows that by 1970, events had transformed the organization and character of the fishing industry in Nova Scotia. Off-shore fishing in the 1960s had modernized under the domination of well-capitalized Multi-National Corporations (MNCs. These large wealthy corporations now owned many of the fishing boats and the plants where the fish were being processed, priced and marketed. Fishermen had unwittingly (and often unwillingly) become blue-collar workers, wanting and needing a union for protection in a competitive free-enterprise business.
Besides his focus on the trials and tribulations of Richardson and his family, Cameron introduces the reader to a host of other colourful characters in some fishing communities in Cape Breton. The Glace Bay Cadegans, Louisbourg's union organizer Conrad Mills, Mulgrave's local president Jim Collins reflected the great seagoing traditions of Nova Scotia. They left their mark but took their knocks on principle and determination.
I liked reading this book and felt that Cameron had educated me in what it would be like firsthand to live through such a conflict. Still 42 years after its original release this highly praised book educates beyond Everett Richardson, reminding the reader that Nova Scotia's labour history is very important and should not be forgotten.
James J Guy Ph. D
Professor emeritus
Political Science
November 16, 2019
I spent many years as a commercial fisherman in Nova Scotia myself, so I am well aware of the struggles that fishing people face on the North Atlantic, as well as when they arrive back in "safe harbours.". There are the trials of going out on the ocean to make a living, which is an overwhelming challenge in and of itself. But this is compounded by the fact that when you make it back to the wharf, there is a whole other fight on your hands as you struggle with the inequalities that are inherent to the semi-feudal power structures in the fishery. The "ways of knowing" in these two worlds are not necessarily compatible: being strong in one does not always translate into being strong in the other, hence the focus on "the education" of Everett Richardson, who has to learn some harsh truths when the whole world turns against he and his fellow fishers as they struggle for some economic justice and autonomy against the powerful forces that surround them in Canso, Nova Scotia. Cameron captures the tensions in both of these fisher's worlds in a very evocative way, especially with regard to how economic and political forces organize against the fishers and plant workers. This is essential reading for anyone interested in how local resource-based communities struggle against the anti-democratic forces of staples economies that use local people as long as it is profitable and then casts them aside when these communities confront the "business as usual" economics that is currently destroying the world.
April 23, 2024
Everette (his name was misspelled in the book), was my grandfather so I grew up hearing the stories about the strike by my father Everette Jr. He died when I was 3 months old, so reading the book was a weird experience of knowing all of the 'characters', but really getting to know them. My grandmother, Jean was very quiet and reserved in later life, so it was wild to hear what a strong force to be reconed with she was. I have such respect for them and all of the fisherman who fought tooth and nail. The book sort of glazes over just how poor people were, how much fighting was happening in the community and how much they were really struggling. I now understand the communities continued dislike of the government and respect for the working class who stood by their side.
I appreciated that Cameron didn't tone down the way people spoke or the language they used. I could hear their voices in my head as I read, which made me smirk because it was so accurate and real. I sometimes got lost in the back and forth of union talk, but mostly because it's so far in the past.
It makes me sad to see where Canso and surrounding areas are now. The fish plant is not only closed, but torn down, the high school is gone and so many left just to survive (as we did in 2003). The original manuscript that Cameron speaks of in the book is at my father's house, with his notes and revisions from those days at the wharf written in.
This book is a wonderful piece of history, both for my family and Nova Scotians in general.
I appreciated that Cameron didn't tone down the way people spoke or the language they used. I could hear their voices in my head as I read, which made me smirk because it was so accurate and real. I sometimes got lost in the back and forth of union talk, but mostly because it's so far in the past.
It makes me sad to see where Canso and surrounding areas are now. The fish plant is not only closed, but torn down, the high school is gone and so many left just to survive (as we did in 2003). The original manuscript that Cameron speaks of in the book is at my father's house, with his notes and revisions from those days at the wharf written in.
This book is a wonderful piece of history, both for my family and Nova Scotians in general.
January 5, 2020
Half a century ago, fishermen in three small Nova Scotia communities fought a long and bitter struggle for the right to unionize. Their story was told by Silver Donald Cameron in The Education of Everett Richardson. Cameron has just reissued the book on the 50th anniversary of the strike.
As someone who was fortunate to have been a supporter of the fishermen back then, it was a pleasure to reread this book. I find now, as I found then, that Cameron’s telling of this epic fight is not merely an accurate account of events. He manages to capture the unyielding determination of the fishermen and their families and the poignancy of the ordeal they had to endure, while they still maintained their remarkable sense of humour and good cheer. The story also has a large cast of deeply involved characters—Everett and his fellow fishermen, their wives and families, Homer Stevens the union leader from out West who was also a Communist, Reverend Ron Parsons, one of the few church leaders who gave his unwavering support to the fishermen, workers in other industries, and other allies across the province, plus the many establishment representatives who opposed the fishermen.
But in addition to retelling a story that kept readers turning the pages all those years ago and that still succeeds in doing just that, Cameron makes an important observation in his new introduction. The same forces that stood in the way of justice and progress in 1970 are still with us. Only now, they target not only workers, but also environmentalists. The enemies of those courageous fishermen who fought for decent pay for their hard work are now also the enemies of those who are fighting for our very survival. And essentially for the same reasons. The big money-makers and their accomplices show little or no concern for anyone or anything else. The parallel is striking.
As someone who was fortunate to have been a supporter of the fishermen back then, it was a pleasure to reread this book. I find now, as I found then, that Cameron’s telling of this epic fight is not merely an accurate account of events. He manages to capture the unyielding determination of the fishermen and their families and the poignancy of the ordeal they had to endure, while they still maintained their remarkable sense of humour and good cheer. The story also has a large cast of deeply involved characters—Everett and his fellow fishermen, their wives and families, Homer Stevens the union leader from out West who was also a Communist, Reverend Ron Parsons, one of the few church leaders who gave his unwavering support to the fishermen, workers in other industries, and other allies across the province, plus the many establishment representatives who opposed the fishermen.
But in addition to retelling a story that kept readers turning the pages all those years ago and that still succeeds in doing just that, Cameron makes an important observation in his new introduction. The same forces that stood in the way of justice and progress in 1970 are still with us. Only now, they target not only workers, but also environmentalists. The enemies of those courageous fishermen who fought for decent pay for their hard work are now also the enemies of those who are fighting for our very survival. And essentially for the same reasons. The big money-makers and their accomplices show little or no concern for anyone or anything else. The parallel is striking.
December 18, 2019
Disclosure: I worked as a consultant with Silver Donald to revitalize and republish this book (2019).
With 19 books, countless articles and numerous short stories to his credit, Silver Donald Cameron is one of Canada’s most prolific authors.
But it’s this work, The Education of Everett Richardson: The Story of the Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Strike 1970-1971, that, for me, defines Cameron’s abilities.
It’s a full-length bit of journalism from inside the story. Yes, I’ve seen the criticisms that this record of the fishermen’s strike lacks objectivity, but whose account wasn’t or wouldn’t be? (And, as they teach [or at least used to teach] in journalism school, there is no such thing as objectivity.)
Indeed, as Philip Moscovitch (Halifax Examiner) extracts, Cameron anticipates accusations of bias, writing:
"I am biased, but I hope I’m not unfair. In general I’m sympathetic to workers, not to multinational corporations, and I think their account of the strike and its causes is a load of horseshit. But I’ve given it to you as completely and as fairly as I can. You can judge it for yourself."
(https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featur...) scroll downs "views."
The book is an empathetic account of a tumultuous time in the lives of hundreds of affected families assaulted from all sides, from capitalists to communists, from politicians to preachers and, of all things, from unions. If you believe that organized labour is all about solidarity and social justice—read this book. Then again, if you believe that capitalism and the “invisible hand” raise all boats—read this book.
Rightfully taking its place among those named the 100 greatest books in Atlantic Canada, The Education of Everett Richardson remains (first published in 1977, remember) an eye-opening portrayal of the working-class in Atlantic Canada. And, as Cameron writes in the new introduction to this reprint, when you scratch below the surface of 21st-century politics and capitalism, things have not changed all that much.
Sure, the focus may have changed—e.g., environment, climate, social justice on your left; virulent anti-liberalism, divisive right-wing populism, xenophobia and racism on your right—but the lessons of the 1970 Nova Scotia fishermen’s Strike, the education of Everett Richardson and his compatriots, act as a lens into contemporary times. And it’s a lens polished by the passage of time. Because it’s long behind us readers can make the journey more objectively, you don’t have to take sides on the fly (you can look back and say to yourself, “my god, what an arsehole!”)
In his new introduction, Cameron notes: “Increasingly, those who stand up for the earth in Canada and the US are not just being ignored and sidelined; they’re being reviled as radicals, fanatics and ‘eco-terrorists’ – as vicious marginal figures whose resistance to industrial projects deserves harsh punishment.”
Columnist Ralph Surette says it well in a testimonial note on the cover. This book “still has relevance, mainly the idea that even if you don’t always ‘win’ you may yet deliver a blow that will change the world.”
https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featur...
With 19 books, countless articles and numerous short stories to his credit, Silver Donald Cameron is one of Canada’s most prolific authors.
But it’s this work, The Education of Everett Richardson: The Story of the Nova Scotia Fishermen’s Strike 1970-1971, that, for me, defines Cameron’s abilities.
It’s a full-length bit of journalism from inside the story. Yes, I’ve seen the criticisms that this record of the fishermen’s strike lacks objectivity, but whose account wasn’t or wouldn’t be? (And, as they teach [or at least used to teach] in journalism school, there is no such thing as objectivity.)
Indeed, as Philip Moscovitch (Halifax Examiner) extracts, Cameron anticipates accusations of bias, writing:
"I am biased, but I hope I’m not unfair. In general I’m sympathetic to workers, not to multinational corporations, and I think their account of the strike and its causes is a load of horseshit. But I’ve given it to you as completely and as fairly as I can. You can judge it for yourself."
(https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featur...) scroll downs "views."
The book is an empathetic account of a tumultuous time in the lives of hundreds of affected families assaulted from all sides, from capitalists to communists, from politicians to preachers and, of all things, from unions. If you believe that organized labour is all about solidarity and social justice—read this book. Then again, if you believe that capitalism and the “invisible hand” raise all boats—read this book.
Rightfully taking its place among those named the 100 greatest books in Atlantic Canada, The Education of Everett Richardson remains (first published in 1977, remember) an eye-opening portrayal of the working-class in Atlantic Canada. And, as Cameron writes in the new introduction to this reprint, when you scratch below the surface of 21st-century politics and capitalism, things have not changed all that much.
Sure, the focus may have changed—e.g., environment, climate, social justice on your left; virulent anti-liberalism, divisive right-wing populism, xenophobia and racism on your right—but the lessons of the 1970 Nova Scotia fishermen’s Strike, the education of Everett Richardson and his compatriots, act as a lens into contemporary times. And it’s a lens polished by the passage of time. Because it’s long behind us readers can make the journey more objectively, you don’t have to take sides on the fly (you can look back and say to yourself, “my god, what an arsehole!”)
In his new introduction, Cameron notes: “Increasingly, those who stand up for the earth in Canada and the US are not just being ignored and sidelined; they’re being reviled as radicals, fanatics and ‘eco-terrorists’ – as vicious marginal figures whose resistance to industrial projects deserves harsh punishment.”
Columnist Ralph Surette says it well in a testimonial note on the cover. This book “still has relevance, mainly the idea that even if you don’t always ‘win’ you may yet deliver a blow that will change the world.”
https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featur...
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