Paco took the Dockers 1st International Conference in February 1996 by storm. He sang arias, talked of the scabs who jumped overboard when they saw 800 women heading for their ship, lectured us on the Coordinadora’s committment to rank and file control of the union, and put his finger on the possibilities opening up that week. The night after the international march to the Liverpool Freeport, with 600 crammed into the Dockers Club to celebrate, Paco held court.
I only want to say one thing... “Long Life Dockers! Long Life Dockers! Long Life Dockers!”
Then he went back into Spanish.
“I would like to express something not just on my behalf but on behalf of the whole Spanish delegation. I hope that you’ll allow me to come here with the rest... because in our union we believe very strongly that there no leaders, that everyone is the same, it’s a rank and file union and that’s why we’re all here.
“I’m proud, not just proud, extremely proud of having been part of your meetings, of your pickets, and even more proud that now here today in Liverpool we have set up the International, and it’s not the International for today, it’s the International of the future. All the dockers will be united, all the dockers standing together.”
Whatever Paco said next was drowned out by the cheering.
We think of his family and the union.
