Newly retired Local 4 member, Jean Stanek, with her dog, Rudy. Jean is the first woman to retire from ILWU Local 4.
Jean Stanek retired at the beginning of the year, making her the first woman pensioner from ILWU Local 4. The Vancouver, WA native joined the local in 1988 at the urging of other Local 4 members who knew her from her waitressing job.
“I was born and raised in Vancouver and didn’t even know that the Port of Vancouver existed until a longshoreman took me on a tour of the port,” said Stanek. “I was a single woman raising four kids on the salary of a waitress and ILWU members urged me to get a job as a longshoreman because it was a job that paid well, had good health care and a pension.” She eventually made a career of working on the docks which enabled her to have a much higher standard of living for her family.
Jean worked shifts as a casual in addition to her waitressing job because she didn’t want to lose the “safety net” of her waitressing job. It took her 7 years before finally reaching “B” status. Stanek said that a lot has changed at the Port of Vancouver since 1988. “When I started they didn’t even have separate facilities for women.” She said it took a while for her to get comfortable on the waterfront. “There were no female footsteps for me to follow in,” said Stanek. “But I never wanted to be handled with kid gloves. I did the work and learned the ropes just like anyone and I think I earned the respect of the men because of that.”
Stanek has become a “matriarch” to other women in the Local. She said she advises women to learn as many different jobs as they can on the docks and not get comfortable doing just one thing. “You never know what will be your road to the future down the line,” she said.
During her career, Stanek was elected to the E-board of Local 4 and was a Health and Welfare officer. “I’m very proud and honored to have been given the opportunity to serve in the ILWU,” Stanek said. “I will always carry of piece of the ILWU with me wherever I go.”