Bob Waghorn
Interviewed by George Davison
Summary
Bob Waghorn grew up in North Vancouver. In this interview, he shares memories of accompanying his Teamster father, the last milkman in Vancouver to deliver milk by horse. He trained as a mechanic and his early jobs were as a Teamster truck driver. Soon after moving to Prince George in 1974, he became a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 399 when he began working for the city as a tandem garbage truck driver.
He discusses the changing nature of his local’s work over time and the kinds of work members did such as servicing lot construction and snow removal. The positions Bob held in CUPE include being a bargaining committee representative, a member of CUPE National’s health and safety committee, and the president of the Northern Area District Council of CUPE BC. During the interview, Bob shares his views on:
- The importance of city workers becoming involved in municipal elections
- The importance of labour history (including his thoughts about Operation Solidarity)
- Young workers
- Commemorating workers injured or killed on the job
- The need for workplace safety regulations
- The creation of the Workers’ Compensation Board
- The role of unions in advocating for worker rights and benefits
Key Words
Milk delivery by horse; International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 31; hiring halls; B.C. Pony Express Ltd.; Canadian federal and provincial labour codes; overtime; City of Prince George; seniority; CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees); union political action; public sector unions; strikes; strike pay; collective bargaining strategies; leapfrogging; standard collective agreement; shop steward training; train-the-trainer; workplace health and safety; CUPE National Health and Safety Committee; employment insurance rebates; employee and family assistance programs (EFAP); Murray Krause; subdivision construction; municipal snow removal; union solidarity; Operation Solidarity; public service pensions; young workers; injured workers; healthcare in B.C.; International Workers’ Memorial Day; sloping and shoring trenches; workers’ compensation hearing claims; right to refuse unsafe work; origins of workers’ compensation