The trade union movement in Bermuda has suffered the loss of two of its giants within the space of ten days of each other. According to Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert, they were a pair who fully understood the true meaning of trade unionism, and would be sorely missed.

First it was Austin (Sockie) Wade, the key man in organising the Bermuda Telephone Company (Telco) workers. He passed away at age 76. Next was Dennis Leroy Bascome at age 64. He had the most intriguing nickname which spoke volumes about his genial, yet combative personality. It was "Mouth" Bascome.

Dennis had the reputation of being the longest serving Divisional President of the BIU, being head of the Hospital Division. He came to the fore during the most turbulent times when the union was battling for recognition at the Hospital where he was employed for most of his working life.

Dennis emerged at a "turning point" in the union's evolution as one of the most ardent of the younger trade unionists. He was fearlessly on the picket line when the BIU was engaged in such sensational industrial actions as the 1963 Hospital Strike that climaxed in the arrest and subsequent High Court trial of Dr. Barbara Ball, the historic Belco Riots in February, 1965; the General Strike of 1981 and in the 1992 Bermuda Forwarders strike in 1992, when "Mouth" himself was arrested while picketing at the airport.

Bascome's best friends and comrades were Kenyetta Young, referred to in my book, The History of the Bermuda Industrial Union as one of the union's most prolific organizer and negotiators; and George Baisden, now known as the union's "elder statesman". He had become aggressively active in the BIU during construction of Southampton Princess Hotel where all 1,200 men on the site were members of the BIU's Construction Division. Kenyetta was president of the Division and Baisden, an expert sheet metal foreman, its secretary.

Kenyetta was highly emotional when paying tribute to Bascome. He said a "good man has gone down", adding: "We would have to travel far and wide to find a most dedicated and trustworthy fighters for workers' rights. He was my best friend. We were in each others' wedding parties."

A mellowed George Baisden in the history book related how he (Baisden), Kenyetta and Bascome were so fanatical in promoting both the BIU and the PLP they were dubbed "The Bermuda Triangle".

"There were many young fellows like us," Baisden stated, adding "we used to hang around the union all night talk politics with Rio Richardson (one of the founders of the PLP,) Freddie Wade, the late Opposition PLP Leader and Walter Sweeting, have a couple of beers and then go home to a wife who would understandably be mad at you."

"Sockie" Wade was the uncle of Freddie Wade. He was 25 when events revolving around the Joe Mills' Longshoremen's strike moved him to join the union in 1959. Seventeen other Telco workers followed his example, much to the dismay of the company's board of directors.

Wade related how the unionists had to treat carefully and employ all sorts of strategies in organising other members, because Telco was not an easy work place, being riven with racial discrimination and segregation. A similar situation prevailed at Belco, where leading members of its Board also served on the Telco Board. However at Belco the directors had managed to thwart the BIU by organising what was in effect a company union.

Mr. Wade explained for the history book how racism was more pervasive at Telco because of extra stratas of ethnicity.

The outside plant, which was the largest department, consisted of white administrators and a large number of black production workers.

Another department comprised a majority of white and Portuguese people. The reverse was the case in the third department where Portuguese outnumbered the whites. Each department guarded its territory jealously. The wages and benefits in each department were distinctly different and unequal.

Wade was by now president of the Telco division. He was the chief shop steward and Telco's chief installer. He earned the wrath of management in his department and was soon demoted to the status of an instrument repairman with correspondingly loss of pay, ultimately resulting in a termination of his 16 years with Telco. His militancy there had gained for himself easy election as a full-time organiser on staff at the BIU, with responsibility for nightclubs, guesthouses, airports, bakeries, trucking and warehousing.

The sacrifices of "Sockie" Wade and "Mouth" Bascome along with their fearless comrades, male and female alike gained for all workers in Bermuda, whether they were BIU members or not, equal rights, equal; opportunities, higher wages, maternity leave, holiday pay, pensions, elimination of racism and other benefits now taken for granted.