WOW, look at the date! How time flies!
Spring is trying to make it's way into Alberta, and with it comes the round of Conventions, meetings and courses for our Officers and Business Agents. Brother Finley is currently attending the National Executive Board meetings for Teamsters Canada. Brother Wallace will be off to the CLC Convention shortly. Brother Eichel and Sister Glubrecht will be attending the Teamsters Women's Conference in Niagara Falls, and the James R Hoffa Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held in conjunction with the Unity Conference during the month of May.
Negotiations are currently underway with Canadian Freightways Limited, Byers Transport Limited, Tiger Courier Inc. We have a Memorandum of Agreement ready for members of Clarke Transport to vote in the very near future.
Members at Securicor Cash Services have a new agreement in place, which expires in 2007. Monarch Transport recently ratified their collective agreement.Aeroguard in Edmonton and Grande Prairie have signed first time agreements with our Local as well.
Our Movie Division is slow right now, to say the least, however we are hearing rumbling of a few projects looking at the Alberta scenery. Hopefully things will pick up in the Spring.
We were recently certified to represent members at Hallcon. They transport CPR crew members to jobsites, and Brother Frost is meeting with the Employer in Winnipeg later this month to continue negotiations on their first time agreement.
Brother Doerksen, the Local Union Organizer, is kept busy, traveling accross the Province, speaking to groups who are looking for Union representation.
Brother Frost is busy booking our truck for summer activities. It is a way that we can contribute to numerous charities on behalf of our membership. Some events use the truck as a staging area, the trailer can be used for storage, for a first aid centre on some events, the stage is used for presentation of awards, or for commentators, the sound system can provide music. Watch for the truck in Edmonton for the Alzheimer's Run on April 24, May 1st for MS in Edmonton, May 15 for MS in Leduc, and Fort Road Business Association has it booked for July 28.. In Calgary it will be at McMahon Stadium for a Juvenile Diabetes event on May 29th, and Britney's Hope Run at North Glenmore Park on June 4. The unit will be at Pioneer Acres in Irricana on August 5, 6, & 7. There is usually one Business Agent with the truck and often a rank and file member or two, so drop by and visit if you happen to be involved in any of these activities. Here are two pictures - the winter one is taken outside of our Edmonton office, and the summer on is taken at an event for CNIB and was sent to us from one of our new Rail Conference members, who just happened to see it when he was visiting in Edmonton.
Congratulations are due to two of our Lethbridge members -During the 2004 year, Brothers Barry Skilling and rod Wesley, both employed by Canadian Freightways, and both long-time members of the Local, were named "Southern Alberta Driver of the Month" by the Alberta Motor Transport Association. Brother Skilling in April 2004 and Brother Wesley in December 2004. That certainly is an honor for both of these gentlemen, and the Company as well.
As well, Brother Bill Roberts retired after 38 years on our Pipeline and Construction Boards and was awarded a gold ring. Brother Gary Hofley served 23 years on the Pipeline Board and received a silver ring. Brother Larry Miller will be receiving a gold watch after 33 years with Motorways and Grimshaw. Brother Ted Hogue spent 36 years on our Construction Board and will also receive a gold watch.Brother Al Carfantan retired in February 2005 and will receive a gold ring for 31 years service, and Brother John Fttiecher also receives a gold ring for 31 years of unbroken service with Consolidated Concrete / Inland Concrete.
Remember if you think you qualify for a retirement award the requirements are: a minimum of 15 years continuous service - no breaks, no withdrawal cards - for a silver ring. 25 years or more continuous service entitles you to a gold ring OR a gold watch. For the ladies who have 15+ or 25+ years, we have a silver or gold necklace with the Teamster insignia and gemstones of your choice. If you are considering retiring in the near future, contact your Business Agent to check out your eligibility for an award. It takes at least six weeks from the time we order until we actually receive the ring, watch or necklace, so is it good to plan ahead. Our retirement jewelery is made by Intergold, a company in Calgary who are very well known worldwide for their craftmanship. They make the NHL Stanley Cup rings, the World Series rings, as well as the CFL awards, as well as college and high school rings across North America. I will try to get some pictures of our retirement awards on the web page next time.
Congratulations go out to a member of our Movie Division, Troy Dorchester, on receiving the highest bid in the Stampede Chuckwagon tarp auction last night. Good luck in the Rangeland Derby this year Troy.
In January of this year, Teamster members employed at Premay Equipment moved the largest load ever transported in North America. This load was between Wandering River and mariana Lakes on Saturday, was just outside of Fort McMurry on Sunday January 23rd, and by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday January 25th it was about 20 km from the Suncor site. It traveled at between 10 and 15 kmh, and was moved by 7 Premay tractors (most being tri-ales) - 3 pulling and 4 pushing - and weighed approximaltely 1.7 million pounds