Guadalupe is an employee at a company that cleans fish. She shares her work experiences and life experiences.

This oral history was produced in 2017 as part of the Workers on the Waterfront Oral History Project conducted by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center with funding from an Archie Green Fellowship provided by the Library of Congress.

Gunnar Gundersen and Johan Gundersen are a father and son duo who were interviewed on September 23rd, 2005. Gunnar Gundersen, the father, is the owner of Scandia Propellers and Supplies, a business located in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Gunnar and his wife immigrated to New Bedford, Massachusetts from Norway in 1951. Gunnar had worked in the shipyard, Noratlantic Diesel, for ten years before purchasing Thompson Propellers and changing its name to Scandia Propeller Service and Suppliers in 1961.

Gunnar Gundersen describes his work as the head of Scandia Propeller Services and Supply, Inc. located in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Scandia works on marine propellers and hydraulics. Gunnar is thirty-seven years old and is a third generation worker in this family-owned business. His great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from Norway and founded the company in 1961.  He has been working at the company since he was sixteen years old. His father recently retired from the day-to-day business operations and Gunnar has stepped in and now heads the company.

Hector Grave came to New Bedford from Guatemala at age 14 and went to work on the waterfront. He worked for several years at gillnet companies until starting his own business, Lionel’s Nets, which makes and repairs gillnets. He discusses the challenges and sacrifice of self-employment as well as the passion for making a quality product.

Howard Nickerson, a former fisherman and union organizer, was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on September 14, 1912. Nickerson grew up in Wareham and graduated from a vocational school. Despite his father's work in the electric light company, Nickerson pursued a career in the fishery industry. During the Great Depression, when jobs were scarce, he found work as an usher at the State Theatre in New Bedford. Eventually, he transitioned to working in the engine room of fishing vessels, primarily engaged in sea scalloping.

Jaqueline Rua has worked at Norpel for four years and has ambitions to be in management. She describes working conditions, learning English on the job and changes that have occurred in the four years on the job. She has a vast knowledge of types of fish and the packing process. She also trains Spanish speakers who are hired as temps during peak seasons.

Jaime Rivera was born in Puerto Rico in 1989. He came to New Bedford in 2006 and found a job at Norpel in 2007. He describes working his way up from packer to nightshift supervisor. He speaks about learning to work on new equipment, temporary and permanent workers, and that his work is not easy but he likes all of it.

This oral history was produced in 2017 as part of the Workers on the Waterfront Oral History Project conducted by New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center with funding from an Archie Green Fellowship provided by the Library of Congress.

Jay Hall spent 25 years working in the medical gas industry and now works for New Bedford Welding Supply, which supplies compressed gas to fishing vessels in the New Bedford - Fairhaven shipping industry.  He discusses his professional background, the different types of welding supplies and gas mixtures that New Bedford Welding Supply provides to the fishing industry, the process of filling a tank, the training provided to employees, specialty equipment, and potential dangers in the work environment.

Jim Mercer is a 47 year old diver on the New Bedford/Fairhaven waterfront.  In this interview, he enthusiastically describes his job, how he became a commercial fishing boat diver, and why he enjoys his job and the waterfront community so much.  He speaks about the importance of having a diver’s assessment on the bottom of a commercial fishing boat and the process of doing an assessment.  He describes the dangerous nature of the job and the satisfaction he receives from working in the New Bedford/Fairhaven fishing community.

James Lopes, fifty-six years old, has been involved in the fishing industry since he was a teenager. He began his career as a ‘Night Rider,’ then had his own business, Ocean Obsession, Ltd, and currently works for Norpel as a production manager. He discusses the rewards and challenges of working on the waterfront, a typical day at Norpel,  the “cast of characters” he has worked with throughout the years, and the changes he has seen in the industry and the New Bedford area over the years.