BURNCO Rock Products Ltd. Edmonton based employees have been locked out since March 31, 2003. The Company has refused to meet for further negotiations on a first time collective agreement for these employees who chose to merge their Association with the Teamsters Union in an attempt to negotiate better wages and conditions for themselves. The company has negotiated a new agreement for the Greater Calgary Area employees, yet are unwilling to negotiate the same for the Edmonton drivers.A rally in support of these locked out employees is being planned for Wednesday morning, May 14/03 at 3867 - 92 Avenue Edmonton, starting at 9:00 a.m. Any moral support that you could offer these brothers and sisters would be greatly appreciated. And don't limit yourself to the rally, any time you have and could stop by with some encouragement would be appreciated I'm sure.
Currently we are in negotiations with Grimshaw Trucking. Brothers Porter and Pearce are in Red Deer, Friday May 9th meeting with company representatives and a Mediations officer in an attempt to come to an agreement regarding wages and conditions for the clerical employees of that employer.
Negotiation meetings for the Construction agreement had to be postponed until June, due to the BURNCO lockout situation. Business Agents and Officers of the Local need to be out with the locked out employees as much as possible.
Brother Lance Wallace was in Ottawa recently, lobbying on behalf of the armoured car industry. Teamsters Canada has a full time lobbyist on "the hill" acting as our voice on the issues Teamsters believe to be of most importance to our membership. We currently have an application before the Canada Labour Board to have Brinks Canada certified as a national bargaining unit. We believe that a national unit would be in the best interest of our members in the armoured car industry.
Please be sure remember your fellow members at BURNCO Rock Products in Edmonton. Stop by their picket line and show your support for their effort.
That's it for now. Will try to get some more pictures on line for you within the next week or so.
Remember your MOM on Sunday May 11 - Mother's Day