A Match to a Blasty Bough

The fishery defines the culture and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. But historically, it was merchants who wielded power and reaped the bounty created by workers. This changed in 1971 when a group of dedicated people created what was then known simply as the Fishermen’s Union. Their goal—which was derided as idealistic and doomed to failure—was to change the power structure of the fishing industry to ensure workers could finally obtain their rightful share of the wealth. But the naysayers were wrong, and the union has survived market crashes, industry restructuring, divisive corporate campaigns, scandalous levels of foreign overfishing, and devastating fish stock collapses.