George Hewison Interview: Music for Social Change
George Hewison grew up in Campbell River where he learned his unionism and politics at “the kitchen table” during the Cold War years. He was an organizer and executive member of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU) for many decades.
This interview was conduced by Sean Griffin and Bailey Garden on May 31, 2017 in Burnaby, BC. It is part of our Oral History Collection.
George Hewison grew up in Campbell River where he learned his unionism and politics at “the kitchen table” during the Cold War years. He was an organizer and executive member of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU) for many decades. He traces his involvement in many disputes and policy issues including the 1967 Prince Rupert strike, jailings of union leaders, injunctions, organizing on the East Coast, fishery policy and Combines investigations. Hewison was introduced to Marxism at UBC and was a Communist Party member. He headed the Vancouver Labour Council Unemployed Committee during the 1983 Operation Solidarity movement. He is also an accomplished musician and passionate about the power of music to deliver messages of social change.