Dutour, Eugene oral history interview

Eugene Dutour is a retired French-Canadian International Longshore & Warehouse Union(ILWU) local 502 longshoreman. At 18 years old, while hitchhiking with his brother-in-law from Cloverdale to New Westminster, a longshoreman picked them up and asked them if they were looking for work, and they said “yes”. On January 7th 1961, the next day, they went to the dispatch hall and got their first jobs. It took Dutour approx. 4.5 years to become an ILWU member in 1965. During his career he received his locomotive ticket, which was only good for the waterfront. He often worked at Neptune Terminals, Vancouver wharfs, and at Fraser Surrey Docks. During the last 28 years of his career he worked at Westshore Terminals. He enjoyed the variety of jobs longshoring, which he explains is why he worked as a longshoreman for 45 years. He is proud to be a longshoreman because the job gave him the means to take care of his family.