Can't throw me out
The now defunct Meadowlands Stadium, located in New Jersey, was one of the massive projects tackled by John Stacey, back in 1980 under the American Steel Co. (courtesy John Stacey)
Story told by John Stacey
I finished high school in 1966 at Bishop Whelan in Lachine. My mother gave me two weeks to find myself a job or something. It was a Wednesday when I was packing my clothes. I figured I would go and join the service because everyone was joining the Marines at the time.
I probably would’ve ended up in Vietnam. But my oldest brother George showed up early in the morning saying, “Come on, get up. You’re going to work.” I told him, “What do you mean? I don't have a job.” He says, “Well you do now.” So. he got me a job at a printing press on 1st Avenue in Lachine.
Five years later the company went bad, another company came in, and they went under and moved back to Toronto. My brother Tommy came to the house one time in a nice car, it was a blue Torino.
Tommy asked me, “You interested in going to work?”
I asked, “What kind of work?”
And he said, “We’re going to work in the elevators in Plattsburgh.” So, I got into that for about five years.
There, we were working for Montgomery Elevator which was from Moline, Illinois. A lot of guys from town were working there, most of them were just electricians, but I was installing elevators.
One day they told me, “Come with us on Tuesday, we’re going to the ironworking union meeting in Albany. We’re going to get you signed up.”
The reason why we went in the middle of the week was because there were three guys the year prior who were only a few hours short of getting their cards, right before they were going to get their cards, they got laid off.
So, we got together and pulled a fast one on them. We went there, got my cards, signed the paperwork, and got my apprenticeship for local 35 Albany New York. One month later the boss man comes up to me and says, “You know we can’t have everybody in the union. A lot of people aren’t even worth the money. So, I’m going to have to let you go.”
I pulled out my cards and said, “Hold on a second and look. I’m already in, you can’t throw me out.”
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Iah thaón:ton' átste' iahstia'tón:ti'
John Stacey (right) standing tall in Boston, circa 2001, with his workmates, son Gary Stacey (middle) and Steve Turcotte (left) (courtesy John Stacey)
John Stacey ROKÁ:RATON
Òn:wa'k sha'katerihwaienstá:ko' tiotenónhsate' 1966 nitiohserò:ten Bishop Whelan ne Skaniatará:ti nonkwá:ti. Teiahia'kserá:ke wa'ontiahià:kseron' nake'nisténha akatatetshénrie'se' ok nahò:ten' aontió'ten' tóka' ni' othé:nen. Ahsénhaton niwenhnisero'ténhne' shikathrie'nonniánions. Wà:kehre' tóka' ioiánere' akathsotahrhonnià:na' ase'kén akwé:kon Marines rontia'táhrha' neh shitkahá:wi'. Ki' ónhte' Vietnam nonkwá:ti iaonkhwa'éston. Thakowá:nen rakhtsì:'a George ohrhon'kéhstsi wahokè:tohte' rá:ton, "Hánio, satkétsko. Wesaio'ténhsere'." Wahihró:ri', "Nahò:ten' tsí:ton? Iah othé:nen tewatio'tenhserá:ien'." Wahèn:ron', "Wesaio'tenhseraién:ta'ne' ó:nen." Tsi tekaristò:raraks iahaketshénrie'se' othé:nen aontió'ten' né: ki' ne First Avenue Skaniatará:ti nonkwá:ti.
Wísk niiohserà:ke ohnà:ken wahoti'táksen'se' ne ronthwistón:ni, ó:ia' ki' ronthwistón:ni tontahontáweia'te' tánon' ronónha ò:ni' sahotirihwanó:ron'se' tánon' Tkarón:to ionsahón:ne'. Iatiatate'kèn:'a Tommy kí:ken énska ken' nontà:re' tsi tkì:teron sah ka'serehtí:io rohonwì:sere', oròn:ia' Torino nika'serehtò:ten.
Tommy wahakerihwanón:ton'se', "Íhsehre' ken aiesaio'ténhsera'?"
Wa'kerihwanón:ton', "Oh nikaio'tenhserò:ten?"
Sahèn:ron' ki', "Tsi ietsénhtha' wa'onkwaio'ténhsere' iakoia'takará:tats nonkwá:ti." Thò:ne ki' ákta kaié:ri tóka' ni' wísk niiohserá:ke wa'katsté:riste' thí:ken.
Sok, Montgomery Elevator iakhiio'ténhse' né: ki' Moline, Illinois nithonatahsá:ronte'. É:so rá:ti Kahnawa'kehró:non eh thotiió'tehkwe', thóha akwé:kon nek ratironwarahéhrha', ok nì:'i ketárions thí:ken iakoia'takará:tats iohsón:we'.
Sewenhnísera thí:ken wa'onkhró:ri', "Ká:ts ítewe Tekenihatòn:ke. Skahnéhtati wa'ákwe' né: ki' thí:ken karista'kehró:non ronanitiohkwakwe'nón:ni rontkennisa'à:ne' aorihwà:ke. Wa'kwahsennarà:ne'." Áhsen nihá:ti ronnón:kwe tsóhsera tsi náhe' nek tohkára na'kahwistà:'eke' wahontò:kten' ne ahatiié:na' raotihiatónhsera', sahonwatihnháhsi' ki' wáhi shihatiienáhsere' thí:ken kahiatónhsera', ne tiorì:wa' tsi eh ia'ákwe' sha'teiahia'kserí:hen nikahá:wi'. Thò:ne ki' wa'akwatia'tarò:roke' tánon' wa'akhi'nikonhra'shén:ni'. Eh ia'ákwe', wa'tié:na' akhiatónhsera', wa'katathsennarónnion' é:so kahiatonhserá:ke, wa'tié:na' thí:ken ionteweiénstha' ká:nakte' ne aktóntie' 35 Skahnéhtati Kanón:no Tsi Watonhontsá:te'. Sewenhnì:ta ohnà:ken thí:ken shonkwakowá:nen akhén:ton nontà:re' rá:ton, "Saterièn:tare' wáhi tsi iah thaón:ton' akwé:kon enhontià:taren' otióhkwakon. É:so iá:kon kwah iah ohwísta' shia'tákene'. Ó:nen'k tsi ki' enskoniátka'we'."
Wa'ktáhko' akhiatónhsera' tánon' wa'kì:ron', "Satehrhá:rat tánon' ska'én:ion. Ó:nen tià:tare', iah thaón:ton' átste' iahstia'tón:ti'."
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde