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GENERAL TEAMSTERS, LOCAL UNION NO. 362
affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, and are enjoying the great fall weather we are having.

Brother Finley is in Vancouver, attending meetings with the Teamsters Pension Plans. He will be back for the Executive Board meeting tomorrow. Then he is off to Edmonton and Fort McMurray to attend to business there.

 Peace Wapiti School Bus Drivers recently held their proposal meeting, and the company has advised they are ready to meet to commence negotiation on their new agreement. The Town of Millet has also advised that they are available to meet in negotiations.
 
Brother Porter and Brother Wirch (Local 213) will be in Edmonton next week to resume negotiation with Byers Transport for a renewal of the agreement covering their 9500 Series Owner Operators.
 
The motion picture industry continues to provide employment for Teamster members in the Calgary and Edmonton areas. Tom Stone and Mentors continue, with new projects crewing up as well. Burn, a story about the Weibo Ludwig situation in northern Alberta is currently shooting in the Canmore area, X-Men 2 a Vancouver-based production, and A Problem with Fear are the latest additions to a busy Movie Division.
 
Did you know that if you have been a member of the Local Union, paying dues continuously for fifteen years or more, and you choose to retire, that you could be eligible for a Retirement Award from the Local? Members retiring after fifteen to twenty-four years are entitled to a silver ring, and those with twenty-five or more years of continuous service, who retire from their employment, are entitled to either a gold ring or a gold faced Teamster watch. It is important that you understand that you must have 15 or more years of continuous dues payment, and you must be retiring, to be eligible for these items. And you must apply for them. These rings and watches were designed, and are made, by Intergold Manufacturing, a Calgary firm who supply many awards, school and sports championship rings, and most notably the CFL Grey Cup rings
 
We started keeping records on the ring / watch program in 1993 and since that time have awarded a total of 145 items. Most of these have been over the past 2 1/2 years. Our members are getting older, and with negotiated collective agreements providing good wages and benefits, and a healthy pension plan, many of them are able to retire long before what is considered teh "normal" retirement age of 65. We are now seeing members retire at 60, and even younger, while they are still young enough and fit / healthy enough to enjoy their well-earned retirement years.
 
The latest recipients of retirement awards are:
 
John Zdunic, a 33 year employee of CFL in Edmonton. John initiated with CFL in September of 1968, when the Initiation Fee was $20.00 and dues were $6.00 per month. John opted for the Teamster watch as his retirement award. Marcel Corr, another 33+ years member, originally initiated in 1968 for $10.00 with Consolidated Concrete Edmonton, and later went to work in the pipeline and construction industry. Marcel also chose a retirement watch. Brother Dahl Price started out in the trucking industry with Lasoille Transport in the late 1960's , then with Grimshaw in the early 1970's. Next was Pacific Western Transportation, and finally at Byers Transport. Dahl also chose the watch. We would like to wish these Brothers every success in their new journey in life.
Our page for retiree information hasn't been put up yet, but we will have it in the near future for you.
Also, if you, or someone else at your Company, receives a safety or service award, let us know. We will include it for your brothers' and sisters' information.
 
Brother Norris received a nice letter from a member working in our concrete industry. The letter was referring to a problem the member was having at his place of employment. His letter reads in part, "Thank you, Keith for your continued support and encouragement. You do an excellent job at representing people like myself. I appreciate the backing of the Teamsters Union in fighting for workrs' rights, and am proud to be a Union member! Without the Union at the _______ plant, Mr. _________ would have fired the whole lot of us by now!" It is nice to know that our members appreciate the work we do. Letters like this one, make our jobs a lot easier, believe me.
 
Remember we would like to have your comments on the content of this site, and if you have any information you would like to see added, we will certainly take your suggestions under consideration. A link to our e-mail address is found on the "contact us" page.
 
That's it for now. I will update again, when we have more to report.