In All Seasons / Ebbs and Flows For Shipyard Workers

Shipbuilding and repair at Matton was mostly outdoor labor, hot in summer and cold in winter, with only the office building at the north end of the site offering heated space for draftsmen, bookkeepers, and managers, while most other buildings were simple sheds that kept weather off machinery and supplies but provided little comfort or protection for workers. One worker, Bob Collins, who was employed at Matton from 1972 to 1973, recalled a cold, windy winter day on the river when a steelworker heated a scrap of steel plate with a cutting torch so he could use it for warmth while working on the frozen tugboat Mary. Work at the shipyard was also seasonal and rose and fell with orders for new boats and repairs. Most employees lived nearby in Cohoes, Waterford, and Lansingburgh, and a small core workforce was supplemented by hourly workers and people with special skills who came and went as jobs required. For some, the shipyard offered a place to learn valuable trade skills and build a future, while for others it provided temporary, fleeting employment. As employee William Hunt recalled, the full-time cadre remained, but welders, caulkers, and others were laid off when their particular work ran out.

Cohoes, New York · United States