Well here we are, summer is over, we have had the first and second snowfall of the year, and it is time to get down to brass tacks again. We hope you had a great summer, enjoyed your vacation time with friends and loved ones, and are all rested and raring to go.
Our Business Agents have been busy this sunmer. We now have new signed agreements with Consolidated Fastfrate Calgary and Edmonton, Canadian Freightways, Byers Transport, Canadian Diabetes Calgary Clothesline Program, Salvation Army Calgary Recycle Centre, Peace Wapiti School District No. 76, Clarke Transport Calgary and Edmonton, Burnco Rock Products Mixer Drivers, Lafarge High River Mixer Drivers, Inland Pipe, GARDA Edmonton, DTL Industrial, The Town of Millet, Tractive Express (CFL Owner Operators), Reimer Express Lines Edmonton, Inland Concrete Edmonton, and Grimshaw Trucking. As well, we have had 18 movie projects signed in Calgary this year, with another three months to go.
The Canadian Freightways books are in from the printers. Notices have been posted in Calgary and Edmonton. If you are a Freightways employee and haven't received your new booklet, please contact your Shop Steward as they are "the keepers of the books".
Any other companies who have recently signed agreements and who haven't received their contract booklets, please call the Union office and let us know if you don't have yours yet.
Business Agents are returning this week from a Joint Council No. 90 Seminar held in Canmore. Speakers at the two day event were Elizabeth MacPherson, Dierctor General of the FMCS Labour Canada, Warren Edmundson, Chair of the Canada Industrial Relations Board, Murray McGown, Local 362 legal counsel, and Mark Schoenhaals from Greystone Managed Investments (the firm that manages our Pension and Health & Welfare fund investments). A lot of information was presented to the Agents. As you can imagine, rules and laws and conditions are constantly changing in todays world, and it is essential that the BA's keep up to date.
Following the Joint Council seminar, the Teamsters Canada Construction Locals met for their fall session, lasting 2 days, to discuss the construction and pipeline work and the problems and solutions in those industries, across Canada.
As the employee rosters are growing with new members joining our ranks daily, the senior members of the Local are aging and retiring in increasing numbers. Some of our most recent retirees include - Stephen Monk (25 years with McMillan Transport), Wayne Murphy (26 years with MacCosham Edmonton),Stan Kapki (37 years CFL Calgary), Marvin Babcock (16 years Construction/Pipe Edmonton), Bob Mullen (29 years Byers Transport Calgary), Yvon Chotard (25 years Allied Systems Edmonton), Norm MacFarlane (31 years Construction Edmonton), Frank Naegel (32 years Construction), Joe Vukovic (30 years MacCosham Edmonton), Dmetro Kostiuk (18 years Lafarge Edmonton), Lloyd Masse (32 years Inland Grande Prairie), Keith Gillies (31 years Construction Edmonton), and Lawrence Abraham (19 years CFL Calgary). Please join us in wishing these Brothers every success in their new chosen path. Enjoy the rewards of a long work career. You have certainly earned it. Following are some pictures of some of your Brothers receiving their retirement awards from the Local Union. Our apologies - these pictures are old, but I don't think I have used them before. We are expecting new ones - hopefully of some of those named above in the near future. Most of those awards are ready and waiting for presentation. Once those retirees get a taste of that freedom, it is often difficult to co-ordinate their busy schedules with the Business Agents, to get together and present their awards.