“I really liked being on the ships. It’s hard to explain, but when I was on them, I just got this feeling. Like it was what I was meant to do. It was a pretty rewarding life. I just really enjoyed my job.”
Meet Greg Wells, an accomplished seaman and SIU of Canada member for over 37 years. With decades of dedicated service and commitment to his team, Greg exemplifies what it means to be a seafarer in Canada.
Born in Newfoundland, Greg’s first job on the water was working on a lobster boat. Coming from a long line of sailors, Greg always knew he was meant for a career in seafaring. His career began on May 21, 1978, at age 16, when he started out as a second cook on a ship because he was too young to work on deck. He gradually moved up to be a deck hand, and eventually a skilled sailor aboard many of Canada’s vessels.
Throughout the years, Greg gained a world of experience, seeing much of the Great Lakes, the Maritimes, Northern Ontario and the United States.
Greg knows seafaring is a career to take pride in and he encourages young people to consider it. “It’s a great job for young people today. The money is good, they don’t have to commute to work every morning, and they get long breaks in the winter to spend quality time with family.”
Life aboard marine vessels has modernized since Greg started his career. “You use to have to use pay phones, and it would be a long time before you get to talk to your family. Now, with things like wifi, social media and phones on the ships, it’s fabulous now.”
Greg has been a major asset to the SIU for many years. Greg was on the front lines advocating for our Canadian industry during CETA negotiations and never missed any protests. “This is my livelihood and I want to help fight to protect it. If we don’t protect our jobs then nobody is going to help us.” It’s because of dedicated members like Greg that the SIU of Canada was successful in this fight.
Greg Wells shows us that Canadian seafarers take great pride, and have a true passion for what they do. Thank you, Greg, for your years of hard work and dedication.
