Presented by Barbara Byers on Tuesday, 15 November 2011

(Check against delivery)

Good morning and welcome Sisters and Brothers. Bonjour et bienvenue consoeurs et confreres.

I have the honour this morning to bring the message from the Officers of the CLC, Ken, Marie, Hassan and myself, from our staff, and indeed from the wider labour movement as we gather to honour Nancy Riche, a phenomenal trade unionist, feminist, social democrat, Sister, and lover of family and friends.

I feel much like Jack Harris, Member of Parliament from Newfoundland, did when he delivered the eulogy at Nancy’s funeral on October 5th and he said that it was “also a great challenge and an almost impossible task to do justice to her life and contribution to our world”.

As I prepared for today, I was panic stricken because I knew I didn’t have enough time to do justice to Nancy’s life, loves, passions, and hopes and dreams. I had just too many stories to tell. And then what about all of your stories?

And then I knew I would never have enough time, and I would be sure to forget something that was important to you or to me, and that I might get a detail or two not exact.

But then Nancy said ‘it was going to be OK’ because there would be other times people in this group, and many who can’t be here today, will meet each other and exchange memories. There are years and years of Nancy stories to tell. She will keep us connected to her and to each other.

I had the chance to review some articles about Nancy; some written after she died, some written before, and some written by Nancy herself. And there were emails sent to me from people across Canada and around the world who were so saddened by her death and who remain inspired by her life and legacy.

So I decided to let those voices be heard this morning as a way of bringing some of those thoughts into the room and shared.It seemed like “the Nancy thing to do”.

Most of you will know Nancy’s family history. She was the youngest of 12 children and the only girl born to Winnifred Collins and Robert Riche. Her mother had come to St. John’s from Spaniard’s Bay to work as a domestic. Her father was a fisherman’s son who delivered coal and worked for Imperial Oil on St. John’s south side.

It was written that Nancy’s mom wanted her to get a better education and to learn the piano so she sent her to Bishop Spencer College, a school not normally attended by the working class. Nancy knew her mother had the best of intentions. She also knew that others didn’t think she belonged there. In Grade 3 she was the only one not invited to the birthday party of a classmate.

She also told the story of how her mother, as a domestic, had made the grave error of entering the front door of a home of a wealthy family she was working for. She was told by an 8 year old boy from the family that this was not the door for ‘the help’. She was humiliated.

Maybe this forged Nancy’s huge passion for equality for everyone. Long before there was the Occupy Movement Nancy was promoting the rights of the 99%. And, together with many of you in this room, Nancy was working passionately to make sure the 99% were invited to the parties and they were welcomed through the front doors.

We all know of Nancy’s love of her family. After she retired she wrote in Our Times Magazine that one of the lessons she “learned over the years about what is important and what is not is this: Keep your friends. Work on the relationships. They are so important. Also, keep close to your family, particularly the young ones.” Even if we had never met them, we all feel connected to Nancy’s family, in particular to her nieces and nephews and their children. And we thank Nancy’s family for sharing this incredible Sister with us.

In 2007 her reunion with her son, Andy, who she gave up for adoption in 1971 when she was 26 years old was incredible. Her family didn’t know about her pregnancy. She went to New Brunswick that summer for the delivery, and returned home after. At the time I believe only 5 close women friends knew. And when Andy contacted her in January 2007 she never missed a beat in agreeing to meet him. And from then on she glowed with love and pride whenever she talked about Andy, her daughter-in-law Caroline, and her two grandchildren, Edward and Charlotte. And she always had pictures! I am so happy that they had the chance to get to know each other and to love each other.

Nancy’s love of children and young people was reflected in so many ways. Personally, I believe it was because of Nancy’s commitment to those coming behind that the summer camp for youth started in Saskatchewan. She never hesitated when we called and asked her if the CLC could help out with some ‘seed money’ to start the camp. And the following years she made sure it was available for other Federations.

And for all of you union people here that have large collections of union backpacks, you can thank Nancy for that. She wanted to make sure the campers had backpacks and then when she saw them she used the idea for the CLC Convention kits.

Nancy wrote that “the best part of working for the labour movement was it really was a labour of love. I was acting out what I believed, every single day ...”.

She lived that passion and enthusiasm every day, everywhere she went and whatever task she took on.

She taught at vocational schools across Newfoundland. She challenged the bosses there – I suspect on a weekly basis, if not daily. When she was told she would have to repeat a probationary period because she had been away briefly working in Nova Scotia (can you just imagine that conversation!) she took it to the union, NAPE, the Newfoundland Association of Public Employees. When they didn’t take up the cause the way she thought they should she forced them to do a better job. Along with NAPE President, Fraser March, they won the first collective agreement for vocational teachers in the province.

And Nancy was always encouraging – and sometimes forcing – the labour movement to do a better job. As Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, said in an email to Ken and me:“I can’t help but believe she left a set of instructions for us all”.

Nancy was a staff representative with NAPE and their Director of Education, Research and Communications. She loved union members and never stopped loving them throughout her whole career – whether it was telling stories about her time in the early years as an elected representative in NAPE or as a Vice-President of the Newfoundland & Labrador Federation of Labour and right up until her time as a retiree being the Chief Electoral Officer for the Canadian Union of Public Employees. And members loved her – from coast to coast to coast and right around the world.

In 1984, Nancy became the Secretary-Treasurer of what was the National Union of Provincial Government Employees, now the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). That is where I first met her and where she first started leaving footprints on my heart.

In 1986 Nancy became an Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress, a position she held until 1999 when she became our Secretary-Treasurer until her retirement in 2002. In his eulogy Jack Harris said “It is said that what changed dramatically with Nancy’s arrival at the CLC in 1986 was the whole atmosphere of the place, particularly with respect to how women were treated and valued. That doesn’t come as any surprise to those who know her”. I want the CLC staff to know that in any conversation I had with her she loved and respected the staff she worked with and often sang your praises; even as she was also demanding more of you.

Nancy’s 16 years at the CLC were about constantly opening doors. For women, for young workers, for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered workers, for Aboriginal workers, for workers of colour. For anyone who had not been included and listened to in our movement and in wider society. I said in an interview after her death that Nancy was always opening doors; sometimes by knocking on them and sometimes by knocking them down. A Sister added that sometimes it was by going in the back door. Thinking about Nancy’s wish that we could all come in through the front door, I think she would have been insisted on being the one going in the back way so she could open that door wide for everyone else.

Nancy was one of those wonderful and rare leaders who worked constantly to raise the visibility and profile of others, and who never closed a door on a feminist, social democrat, trade unionist or worker. She knew that our strength came from our numbers and our diversity and we couldn’t have that strength if even one person felt excluded. Nancy always welcomed the challenge of creating space and didn’t see it as a negative if someone thought we hadn’t done enough. She remembered her roots when she was the one doing the challenging – and she never lost her edge to challenge.

Before NIKE’s slogan of “Just Do It” and before Barack Obama coined the phrase “Yes We Can” Nancy Riche was telling people they could do it and to just do it. She challenged your doubts, gave her support, and always wanted to know what we could do different or better the next time. And she expected you to do the same thing for those coming behind you, particularly if they were Sisters, those from other equity groups or young people .

A Sister wrote me that Nancy was “one of the most fascinating Sisters I have ever known; a truly complex feminist – tough as nails but very vulnerable as well. I loved her”.

Another Sister wrote that, although she had only met Nancy once, Nancy made the event special for her. She said “Like Nancy, I want to ‘leave it all on the field’ when I die. I don’t ever want to think that I may not have done enough for people – whether or not they are union members”.

Nancy had a phenomenal sense of humour – I’m sure the tears of laughter got her through the tears of frustration and hurt the labour movement inflicted. I remember she came to speak at a course the SFL held called “Men and Women Talking” and her reflections were honest, tough, edgy, humorous, loving and long- lasting.

Nancy was always prepared – at least it always seemed that way to those of us who watched her; at conventions, conferences, meetings and in the media.

In debates with ‘the other side’ she was sharp, fast, interesting, tough, funny at times, and she knew how to ‘go in for the closer’ when it was time. Inside the labour , social democratic and social movements or outside of our movements, Nancy was always respectful of her opponent’s right to have their position - even if they were wrong! It has been written that she had “a hurricane force of caustic wit”.

And she knew it wasn’t just about her – she consulted with others about what needed to be said. She was representing our movement and all those who don’t have a voice. She never used her privilege to become privileged.

Nancy’s influence spread to the international trade union, feminist and human rights movements.

Nancy was the Vice-President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the Chair of the ICFTU Women’s Committee from 1993-2002 when she retired from the CLC. Now the ITUC, they paid tribute to Nancy after her death. The news release said in part, “Under Nancy’s dynamic leadership, the Women’s Committee grew in stature and influence worldwide. In all trade union decision making structures in which she represented the ICFTU Women’s Committee, she always fiercely defended the view of working women.”

Diana Holland, the current chair of the ITUC Women’s Committee said Nancy “created strong foundations on which working women internationally are building today, and truly represents international women’s solidarity, both within and beyond trade unions”.

Sharan Burrow said Nancy was “a woman deeply respected by labour women and men around the world for her passionate and unconditional fight for justice, decent work and gender equality at work”. She also said in an email to me that Nancy’s death is “hard to believe as she will live on for me as forever full of vitality and determination.”

Guy Ryder, the previous ITUC General Secretary wrote in an email “that it is difficult to think of or imagine a more committed and determined trade unionist than Nancy nor one who found the time to devote her talents and energy to the international trade union movement”.

And the IUF, the International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers, wrote that Nancy “was an outstanding leader – inspiring and encouraging. … Her strong commitment to equality and women’s rights was contagious and so was her enormous sense of humour. She brought back dignity and joy to the struggle”.

A Dutch trade Sister said she will always remember Nancy for her “... sense of humour and intellectual sharpness in the efforts to promote women’s equality throughout the global trade union movement. It has been a joy to work with her so closely”.

In 2010 you could see that joy when Sisters from around the world attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) reconnected with Nancy. The CLC wanted Nancy to be at the CSW because the theme was Beijing + 15; and Nancy had led the international trade union delegation in Beijing in 1995 at the 4th UN World Women’s Conference. A Sister who was at the UNCSW in 2010 emailed me that she had “wonderful memories of personal inspiring experiences and a sense of the lasting contribution made by Nancy to the cause of feminism, gender justice and women’s rights, both in Canada and worldwide”.

Nancy was a Social Democrat through and through and before she was hospitalized she was campaigning for the NDP, and in particular for her nephew who was running in the provincial election. She was National President of the Federal New Democratic Party for 5 years. When she retired from the CLC and announced that she was going home to St. John’s, she said that part of her energy would be devoted to building the NDP in Newfoundland and Labrador. She would want us to remember that her obituary asked that donations in her name be directed to the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP.

Nancy received many Orders and Awards in Canada, an Honorary Doctorate, and international awards including the AFL-CIO George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award and an award from the Congress of South African Trade Unions for her work in building the trade union movement in the anti-apartheid era.

In her honour I ask you to rededicate yourselves to the principles and passions of Nancy Riche.

Be feisty and funny.
Challenge our movement to be better.
Make sure you are opening doors; whatever way you can get them open.
Be charming and tough.
Honour and respect the people who work with you.
Fight for equality every day.
Be vigilant, demanding and noisy.
Be a titan of social democracy.
Be real and genuine.
Bring dignity and joy and passion to the struggle.
Inspire others by being a little outrageous – or a lot outrageous - every day.

And to quote Nancy:
Keep your friends.
Work on the relationships.
Keep close to your family, particularly the young ones.

I will leave you with the words from Cindy McCallum Miller, who was inspired to pick up her drum and then write these words after hearing Nancy’s last interview on CBC radio, because hearing Nancy talk about workers escalating our actions in the face of Tory repression moved her. It is framed to the tune of Joe Hill; and it won’t happen today but perhaps someday in the future we will gather to sing it together.

I drummed for Nancy Riche last night
As hard as I could pound.
My drum’s heart beat was strong and clear
But Nancy’s made no sound.
Her heartbeat made no sound.

I drummed to send her energy.
I drummed to send her thanks.
I drummed for one departed soul
Who rose up from our ranks.
A leader from the ranks.

A sister strong and tough as nails
She led us in full stride
To fight for full equality
No less she would abide
Until the day she died.

And as I drummed I saw her face
As clear as it could be.
She took her glasses off her nose
And smiled for all to see.
She smiled for you and me.

I drummed for Nancy Riche last night.
I drummed to say goodbye.
The working class has lost a friend
But her memory will not die.
In her shadow we will fly.

Thanks Nancy. Merci Nancy.

We love you.