Joy Thorkelson Interview: Shoreworker, UFAWU President & City Councillor

In this 1.5 hr conversation, Rod Mickleburgh and Donna Sacuta interview Joy Thorkelson. Joy is a resident of Prince Rupert and held positions as organizer and president of the UFAWU (United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union). Joy describes how she came to Prince Rupert, some of what she experienced as a shoreworker doing multiple types of jobs in the canneries and her evolution as a labour activist. Throughout, her love of the fishing industry comes through clearly as she recounts wonderful experiences with her strong women co-workers, and the work she took on because of her desire to improve the lot of the working -class. She discusses how she came to be a union organizer and what it was like to work for the union through multiple strikes, providing insight into how the work was done and how she dealt with the inevitable conflicts resulting from the struggle for worker equity, as well as commenting on some of the labour organizers, such as Homer Stevens, she has had the privilege to know. She also discusses how much labour power has been lost in recent years due to political re-structuring of the fishing industry. Toward the end of the interview, Joy talks about her motivation to run for City Council and the work she did while in office.