Well, that's it for promising to keep this page updated more often! The best laid plans of mice and men..... Welll, you know that story.
However, I am back from holidays, and will try to get the news caught up for you.
By now, everyone is aware of the new dues rates which went into effect in July. Those members who pay "cash dues" and were paid ahead to the end of the year, will be asked to remit the increase on their next dues payments, if they haven't already done so. This group of members are made up of the Construction Board, Pipeline Board, MOPs and DOPs, Atco Industries, and Movie Board members. Those members on company check-off billings, where your dues are deducted from your paycheques, have already had the new amounts applied.
We have had a busy fall season. Numerous agreements are open for negotiation, and some have been completed. Blanchard Transport agreement was ratified on July 10/02 and signed in early October. Group 4 Falck Canada, formerly Wackenhut, have a new agreement. These members provide security services at the Edmonton International Airport. The 75+ members working for PeBen Industries have a new collective agreement which was ratified on September 15th and runs through June 30/05. Booklets are being printed and will be out to the members, hopefully just before Christmas. JohnsonDiversey Canada Inc recently signed an agreement which will expire September 30/06. Allied Systems (Canada) Company, with approximately one hundred members in our Local Union, have a new agreement which will carry through to December 31/05. The Grimshaw Trucking freight agreement is completed and will run to March 31/06. We have about 185 members working for Grimshaw in the Edmonton and north areas. The Grimshaw Clerical Staff agreement will be opening early in December and negotiations will get underway in the New Year on that group.Negotiations are also on the horizon for DTL Edmonton Industrial and MacCosham Commissioned Operators who work out of the CN Yards in Edmonton.
Brother Finley (as Chairman of our Health & Welfare Plans) and Wayne Morrisson (Administrator of our Health & Welfare Plans), are currently attending a conference for the International Federation of Employee Benefits. This is a group which studies and reports on benefit plans - what is available, how to better manage the Plans, new ideas, ways to improve existing plans, etc etc.
The Movie members are busy in the Calgary area right now. There are five productions currently working in and around Calgary. Tom Stone is a CBS TV series in it's second year of production. It is a story about a fellow wrongly convicted of a crime, who is asked to help the RCMP with an investigation, and all the situations he gets into once he agrees to help the woman RCMP inspector. Between trying to help her and trying to clear his name there is lots of action. The show is shot in Calgary, and the story line is based on Calgary. For once we are not being made to pass for somewhere else. Apparantly they are even going to do an episode relating to the Stampede. The Great Goose Caper is shooting in Kananaskis country. This is a story about a talking goose who is going to be cooked for a big dinner at the Banff Springs Hotel, and a young boy's fight to save the goose. Chevy Chase stars in this flick. Don't Call Me Tonto is also shooting in the Calgary area. It is a story about a scheme to rob a Bingo Hall. David Hasselhoff of Baywatch and Knight Rider fame, is in the starring role, and is quoted as saying "It's like Smokley and the Bandit meets There's Something Abut Mary, meets The Electric Horseman. It's a lot of fun, and it's something my kids can see". Guess we'll find out how much fun when it comes out on the big screen. A Problem With Fear is filming in downtown Calgary. In the movie, the transport technology in downtown office buildings is going awry and it might be because of one man ... or so he things. A world is revealed where escalators consume executives, revolving doors twirl business men into oncoming traffic and elevators get the best of nervous office workers. The fims centers around a young man's belief that his fears are fueling the others' misfortune.He thinks the death and injury is being cused by his own personal fears of elevators and pretty much everything else, including commitment which may be an issue for his girlfriend Dot. Luckily for those areound him, he is confidnet he has the power to stop the fear storm and save the world. Another project, Dangerous Acquaintances is just crewing up to begin production.
We have had a few member retire over the past months. Brother Harold Dubland retired from the Movie Dispatch Board after 15 years of continuous service. He was awarded a silver ring for his service. Brother Camile Daigle will be finished at PeBen as of November 29/02. He is also eligible for a silver ring. And Brother Bob Winthrop has also retired from the movie board. Brother Bob has been a member for the past 9 years and has worked as a wrangler in the movie business. Brother Bill Rutledge has decided to retire as well. He has been working as a driver in the movie industry for the past few years, but I am sure many of you will remember Bill from his days with Kingsway Freightlines.
We have received some positive feedback from those of you visiting our site. Thank you very much for the kind words. We will endeavor to keep improving as time goes on. It has turned out to be more time consuming than I had originally thought.
Things will probably slow down for most of us now, with the holiday season fast approaching.
Check out the events page, the 2003 dates for General and Area meetings has been updated. Remember these meetings are held for your benefit. That is the time to ask any questions you may have about the Local. The business agents who chair these meetings are familiar with the agreements covering members in that particular area and should be able to answer your questions. If you are in another area, other than your home area, you are certainly welcome to attend those meetings too. Those business agents may or may not be familiar with your contracts, but will certainly do their best to get the information you are looking for. Financial statements of the Local Union are reviewed, and reports on negotiation, organizing , benefit plan information are all open for discussion. The only way to improve things, which you see to need improving, is to attend the meetings and voice your concerns. It is a good way to meet your brothers and sisters who are members, however don't work in your industry and to discuss your common concerns and issues. You may find out you really have a lot in common with fellow members.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.