OCSM President Robert Fraser remembers Alan Willaert

I first met Alan in early 1991 on his first field visit to Local 247, where I had just taken on the task of Secretary-Treasurer a few weeks before my 25th birthday. To say I was thrown into the deep end of the pool wouldn’t be enough of an analogy; it felt more like being dropped into the middle of a hurricane in the middle of the ocean. Alan was very gracious, patient, and helpful in keeping me from drowning in those first few months on the job. In the days when both personal and office computers were a rarity, Alan was a technical genius and I’m sure the AFM benefitted greatly from his knowledge of computer technology in those days. 

I’m also sure many people will recall Alan’s sense of humour, honed by years of being on the road with a rock and roll band. I can imagine that gatherings to remember Alan will be full of his brand of humour, but those of us that worked with him saw his serious side – someone who was zealous for unionism, the AFM, and helping out musicians however and wherever he could.

His enthusiasm was boundless. I remember one report he gave to a Canadian Conference where he said: “I feel like a kid with a new toy truck every day I’m on this job.” That enthusiasm never waned throughout his career. 

Alan became VP from Canada very soon before I became OCSM President, and he was as supportive of me in that position as he was when I was a floundering first-time Local Officer. When he hired new SSD staff he included the OCSM Executive throughout the hiring process. When we chose to have mid-season meetings in Toronto one year, he gave us the board room at the Canadian Office for two days and made himself available the whole time we were there.

Rest in peace, my friend – if there’s any chance of you tormenting people from the other side, I’m sure it will involve your making fun of Leafs fans.