The 1998 waterfront dispute has had a number of consequences, not the least being the demonstration of inter-union solidarity. It was a dispute that saw not just a union and an employer (and a government) challenging each other, but a dispute involving the union movement. The community assembly at Melbourne\u27s East Swanson dock became the gathering place for unionists across the spectrum, . It was not just the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) challenging Patrick\u27s, Reith and co, but the union movement, responding to the attack on one of its own, most dramatically seen on the night of I 8 April. The solidarity expressed ~ visually, aurally [the chant of \u27MUA ~ here to stay\u27] - spoke of the collective, the unity on which the union movement is founded
