Ryan - A grander vision: my life in the labour movement

Copyright Sid Ryan, 2019

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Cover Image: Murray Mosher
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: A grander vision : my life in the labour movement / Sid Ryan ; foreword by Gerry Adams.
Names: Ryan, Sid, 1952- author. | Adams, Gerry, 1948- writer of foreword.
Description: Includes index.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20190047658 | Canadiana (ebook) 20190047682 | ISBN 9781459744257 (softcover) | ISBN 9781459744264 (PDF) | ISBN 9781459744271 (EPUB)
Subjects: LCSH: Ryan, Sid, 1952- | LCSH: Labor movementCanada. | LCSH: Progressivism (Canadian politics) | LCSH: Human rights movementsCanada. | LCSH: CanadaSocial conditions21st century.
Classification: LCC HD8104 .R93 2019 | DDC 322/.20971dc23

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Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Lan dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de lart dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

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To my wife, Sheila, and my daughters, Lisa, Susie, and Amanda, and grandchildren, Kiyara, Ava, and Callum

To my brothers and sisters Mike, Deirdre, Frank, Yvonne, Ken, Sean, and Sharon

In memory of my parents, Danny and Maureen, and my brothers Noel and Don

In this autobiography, Sid Ryan traces his life from working-class roots in Dublin to the presidency of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Sids passion for social justice and international solidarity comes across as we follow him from the barricades at the 2001 Quebec Summit of the Americas, through his visits to Ireland and the Middle East, and on to his years at the pinnacle of the Canadian labour movement.

Sids story of growing up in Ireland during the fifties and sixties shares features many can identify with: a weak economy forcing his dad to work in England for lengthy periods of time, with his mom staying at home to raise the kids on a tight budget. Sids father was influential; Sid took an interest in politics, sport, and rebel music from him. We share a passion for hurling, with Sid embracing his fathers support for Tipperary. Father Alec Reid the Sagart, who played a central role in the peace process was also from Tipp and shared the same passion for hurling. Sid worked in Belfast in the 1960s and details his memories of the civil rights era at that time and its violent repression. It is this Irish connection that would eventually lead to our meeting.

Over the centuries, Irelands freedom struggle benefitted greatly from the support of its sons and daughters dispersed throughout the world. The Irish diaspora stood with us through the good times and the bad times. It played a vital role in helping us develop the peace process, in the face of a hostile British government and Irish establishment.

Irish emigrants to Canada and their descendants, including members of my own family, played a prominent role in that international solidarity. As elsewhere, trade unionists were key backers of our struggle. It was the great Irish revolutionary James Connolly who coined the phrase: The cause of Ireland is the cause of labour; and the cause of labour is the cause of Ireland. We were blessed with many trade unionists, like Sid, who share that vision. Sid is one of our friends.

As our nascent peace process developed in the 1980s, our Canadian friends lobbied hard for the government to issue me a visa to enter Canada in my role as uachtarn (president) of Sinn Fin. Sid supported the campaign and used his good offices to press for a visa. Eventually, a visa was won and I got to visit Toronto in 1994. Sid joined me on stage for a massive rally at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto. During the visit, Sid also helped organize a very well-attended meeting for trade union leaders and activists, where I was able to brief them on the peace process and the struggle for Irish reunification.

With Gerry Adams in 1994 at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, Toronto.

Sid took up the challenge to support the peace process. He visited the north of Ireland three times in the late 1990s as part of Canadian observer delegations at controversial, and sometimes violent, Orange marches in Portadown and Belfast. On each of these visits, I had the pleasure of thanking Sid and his colleagues, including the late Warren Allmand, for their interest and support.

With Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fin, when he visited Toronto in 2009.

We are in a better place in Ireland today. I have visited Canada as president of Sinn Fin on many occasions since the nineties. On each and every visit, Sid has been there to offer support and encouragement.

It was, therefore, an honour to be asked by Sid to write this foreword. Sid played his part in helping making Ireland a better place today. I know he will continue showing support for our cause and that of oppressed people everywhere in the years ahead. Go raibh maith agat, Sid thank you.

Gerry Adams, Teachta Dla, Louth; former leader of Sinn Fin

Belfast, Ireland

May 2018

QUEBEC CITY, APRIL 2001