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Monday, November 4, 2024

Charting a New Course

Former Local 501 president Dennis Watt is planning fresh adventures after 29 years as an event host at Rogers Arena

DENNIS WATT WILL MODESTLY TELL you he has “been paid to watch hockey” for almost 30 years.

And indeed, his job as an event host at the Rogers Arena has given him a great vantage point for Vancouver Canucks games ever since 1995.

But apart from his duties as a host, Dennis has been a stalwart Local 501 supporter, both as a long-time steward and serving on the board as vice-president and president. His contribution has been invaluable says Jamie Wade, CLAC representative.

“I met Dennis when I first started in 2007,” Jamie recalls. “He was a big help to me as I started my career in navigating the issues and connections at what was then GM Place [now Rogers Arena]. His knowledge of the venue and the collective agreement were second to none.”

Dennis came to his “retirement job” at Rogers Arena after 35 years with the post office, bringing along a unique set of skills.

“I spent most of my career working at Canada Post,” says Dennis, who was born and raised in Vancouver. “I started as a letter carrier, then went into management as a supervisor, then became a superintendent.”

He retired with a full pension at age 55 but was excited to explore other opportunities. At the same time, construction was wrapping up on the $160-million GM Place, which was built to replace the aging Pacific Coliseum as the main sports and entertainment venue in the city.

“When they finished the new building, which is now called Rogers Arena, I applied and got hired right away,” says Dennis.

“I started in August of 1995.”

WITH HIS LONG MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE at Canada Post, it wasn’t long before Dennis’s people skills were recognized. He took on a steward role at GM Place, raising members’ concerns with their employer, Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CSE). At the time, the workers were represented by Unite Here Local 40. But it wasn’t a productive relationship, Dennis recalls.

“I got so many complaints from people who had issues,” he says. “We would phone the union hall if I couldn’t resolve something, and we wouldn’t get a call back. They just wouldn’t show up.”

So, the membership started shopping around for new representation. One of his colleagues “had a relative who was really big in the labour movement in BC, and he put us in touch with some people,” says Dennis.

One of the people they met was a CLAC representative.

“We went out for lunch, and he really impressed us,” says Dennis. “CLAC seemed to be far more hands-on and promised to show up.”

He also liked CLAC’s philosophy of cooperation, not confrontation.

“After my history with Canada Post [and its combative relationship with CUPW], I saw the value in that sort of approach,” he says. “A lot of strikes end up being pointless.”

It wasn’t difficult to convince his fellow members that CLAC was a better choice.

“We got the cards signed and had a vote, and that was basically all it took to change,” he says.

That was in 2006. The membership has been satisfied with CLAC’s representation, despite occasional overtures from other unions.

DENNIS IS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF the way CLAC stepped up as Vancouver was preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. GM Place was used for the ice hockey events and was temporarily renamed Canada Hockey Place, due to Olympic rules forbidding corporate sponsorship of event sites. CLAC made sure that was the only change.

The Olympics typically rely on thousands of volunteers to make the games run smoothly.

“We worked alongside some volunteers, but we made sure our members got paid,” says Dennis. “The members really appreciated that we negotiated that. Plus, we got to see the Olympics!”

One of the biggest benefits of working at the arena has been meeting famous athletes and musicians. Dennis’s biggest brush with fame came when a friend got him backstage access at a concert by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, formerly of Led Zeppelin.

“After work, we got to hang out with them backstage, chat, and have a beer,” he says. “It was funny to see employees walk by and look at me and think, ‘I know him!’ I’m sure they were all wondering what I was doing with the band.”

The party didn’t stop there. Dennis and his friends were invited to an informal party at the hotel where the musicians were staying.

“We spent the next few hours talking with them and chatting and having a great time,” he says. “Robert actually invited me to stop by and play tennis if I was ever in England!”

Perks aside, Dennis has derived his greatest satisfaction from ensuring local 501 members have reliable day-to-day representation.

“If someone is being disciplined and we can step in and turn a possible firing into a suspension or get a letter off of someone’s file, that makes you feel good,” he says.

JAMIE WADE SAYS DENNIS HAS consistently set the tone for a productive working relationship and made the members feel like a family.

 “I have always appreciated his wisdom and friendship,” says Jamie. “I can’t thank him enough for all his help over the years.

“Dennis and his wife, Virginia, hosted CLAC representatives and other stewards in their room at CLAC steward conferences. Their pad was a de facto hospitality suite where other stewards and representatives would relax, have a beverage, and share stories. To Dennis I say, ‘thanks and cheers!’”

Now 72, Dennis has stepped back from his union work. He and Virginia have started spending part of the winter in sunny Arizona, but he is still enjoying his part-time job and second career as an event host.

“You get to know all the people pretty well, because so many are season ticket holders,” he says.

Most recently, he has been working in the accessible seating section of the arena, tending to the needs of fans in wheelchairs.

“Once I get all my people in place and the play starts, I get to sit down, too,” he says. “I don’t have to spend a lot of time standing.”

Dennis plans to ease into his second retirement, possibly in 2025 when he reaches his 30-year milestone with CSE. But he’s already thinking about what he will do next.

“One of my sons-in-law is a marine engineer,” he says. “We have bought a 24-foot boat together. I’m going to spend most of my time on the boat with my grandson, just going out on the water.” 

Gods of Arena Rock

In the music industry, the 1970s and ’80s are known as the era of arena or stadium rock. Bands like The Who, Queen, Aerosmith, Foreigner, and others featured massive productions of lights, spectacle, and ear-splitting sound in huge sports arenas in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. But no band was bigger in the ’70s than Led Zeppelin.

Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin was comprised of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and Jon Bonham (drums). Rolling Stone magazine described them as the “biggest band of the seventies” and the “heaviest band of all time.” No one epitomized the era of “big hair, big voices, and really big guitars,” as historian Gary Donaldson describes arena rock, like Led Zeppelin.

The band toured extensively following the release of their first two and fourth albums. Plant emerged as the prototypical charismatic front man, known for his flamboyant personality and raw stage performances. Page, who began as a studio session musician, was prolific in creating guitar riffs. Bonham, who died in 1980, leading to the end of the band, became known for his speed, power, and fast single-footed kick drumming. With his keyboard skills, Jones (born John Baldwin), also a former session musician, added another dimension to the hard rock band.

Together, their musical innovation and success influenced the rock music industry in the ’70s as much as the Beatles did in the ’60s, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But it was their live performances that sealed their reputation as the gods of arena rock. As Plant said, “When you do it ‘properly,’ as you say, then you start playing the game that we created. The band I was in in the ’70s was pretty responsible for bigging it up. We had no choice. We played to 72,000 people whatever it was at Tampa Stadium, and there was a thunderstorm, and we ran for our lives. We had no opening act, no stage cover, nothing, and maybe two security guys keeping an eye on us. It was insane.”

Sources: allmusic.com, forbes.com, loudersound.com, wikipedia.com