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Page 1 The newspaper of Teamsters Local 31 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Spring, 2011 www.teamsters31.ca Delta, B.C., Canada 31 News From: Teamsters Local Union No. 31, #1 Grosvenor Square, Delta, B.C. V3M 5S1 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40565532 Local 31’s newly-designed logo to commemorate its 75th Anniversary. See our 75th Anniversary merchandise on page 3. On November 6, 1936 the International Brotherhood of Teamsters chartered Local Union No. 31. Over the past 75 years the Local has represented thousands of hard working men and women in British Columbia and the Yukon. From the earliest days of horse and wagon drivers, the membership has run the gamut from truck drivers, warehouse workers, public sector workers, courier drivers, rail transportation workers and car parking lots. Today, the eternal fight for working families continues under the leadership of Local Union President and International Vice-President, Stan Hennessy. The Local’s history is a powerful legacy of the last 75 years of empowerment, equality and strong representation. Local 31 celebrates its Diamond Anniversary Canadian Freightways unit in 1940’s A set of doubles at Crows Nest Pass in 1956. First ones to run from Vancouver to the Crow. CF split them there and ran to Calgary with single boxes as double trailers were not allowed in Alberta at the time. Then . . . and Now . . . Trucks equipped with a lot of the modern comforts found in most homes, with a quiet ride and air conditioning - a vast improvement in working conditions for drivers! (photo by Terry Tyler)

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Page 1: The newspaper of Teamsters Local 31 of the International ...€¦ · Page 1 The newspaper of Teamsters Local 31 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Spring, 2011 Delta, B.C.,

Page 1

The newspaper of Teamsters Local 31 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Spring, 2011 www.teamsters31.ca Delta, B.C., Canada

31 News

From: Teamsters Local Union No. 31, #1 Grosvenor Square, Delta, B.C. V3M 5S1Publications Mail Agreement No. 40565532

Local 31’s newly-designed logo to commemorate its 75thAnniversary. See our 75th Anniversary merchandise on page 3.

On November 6, 1936 the International Brotherhood of Teamsters charteredLocal Union No. 31. Over the past 75 years the Local has represented thousandsof hard working men and women in British Columbia and the Yukon. From theearliest days of horse and wagon drivers, the membership has run the gamutfrom truck drivers, warehouse workers, public sector workers, courier drivers,rail transportation workers and car parking lots. Today, the eternal fight forworking families continues under the leadership of Local Union President andInternational Vice-President, Stan Hennessy. The Local’s history is a powerfullegacy of the last 75 years of empowerment, equality and strong representation.

Local 31 celebrates its Diamond Anniversary

CanadianFreightwaysunit in 1940’s

A set of doubles at Crows NestPass in 1956. First ones to runfrom Vancouver to the Crow.CF split them there and ran toCalgary with single boxes asdouble trailers were notallowed in Alberta at the time.

Then . . .

and Now . . .Trucks equipped with a lot of the modern comforts found in most homes, with aquiet ride and air conditioning - a vast improvement in working conditions fordrivers! (photo by Terry Tyler)

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Page 2

President’sReport International

Brotherhood ofTeamsters DelegatesElection

At Local 31’s nominationmeeting for delegates to the 2011IBT Convention, the followingmembers were nominated,seconded and accepted thenomination. Since the number ofnominees for delegates andalternate delegates did not exceedthe number to be elected for thesepositions, the delegates electionscheduled for February 14, 2011was cancelled. The followingmembers are declared elected.

Stan Hennessy DelegateDave Cooper DelegateRichard Van Grol DelegateCheryl Popeniuk DelegateTerry Tyler DelegateRod Blackburn DelegateMike Hennessy DelegateGrant Coleman Delegate

Caley Fieldhouse AlternateJim Kidd AlternateTom Brown AlternateCatherine Gastaldello Alternate

by Terry Tyler, Business Representative

Teamsters Local 31 Directorof Organizing, Jure Kelava hasbeen very busy this year organizingfour new companies: RockyMountaineer, Park ‘n Fly, CanadaWest Warehousing and CanadaCartage.

Rocky MountaineerRailtours is a tourist train thatoffers two-day rail tours -Vancouver to/from Banff toCalgary, Vancouver to/from Jasperand Whistler to/from Jasper. TheCompany employs 110 newmembers. Secretary-Treasurer,Rod Blackburn is in negotiationswith the Company for a newcollective agreement.

Canada West Warehousingis a warehouse with 12 employeeswho are represented by BusinessRepresentative, Larry Sargeantwho is currently in negotiations fora first collective agreement.

Canada Cartage is in thedistribution business, whosecustomers include Canada Safewayand currently employs 123members. Business Representative,Richard Van Grol, and Organizer,Jure Kelava, recently concludednegotiations and have ratified a firstcollective agreement with theCompany.

Park ‘n Fly offers secureparking at YVR in addition to valet

parking. Our new members at Park‘n Fly include cashiers, lot jockeys,bus drivers, foremen and carwashers.

The Company is representedby Business Representative, TerryTyler who will be negotiating a newcollective agreement for the 70new members working there. Ifyou park there don’t hesitate tointroduce yourself as a brother orsister Teamster and welcome thesenew members toour Union.

Park ‘n Flyhas secureparking facilitiesin Vancouver,Toronto, Ottawa,Halifax,Montreal andEdmonton and isoffering anapproximately25% discount onparking servicesat thesefacilities.

To securea quote and print a coupon to parkyour car at a Park ‘n Fly lot duringyour upcoming air travel, pleasefollow these instructions on theInternet:

1. Go to www.parknfly.ca2. Under ‘Find the Best Rate

for Your Stay’ enter your departure

and arrival dates.3. Click on the + sign beside

‘Do you have a Discount Code?’Enter the number 59063 in thespace provided.

4. Click on the city in whichyour car will be parked.

5. Click on the ‘Click here forSpecials’ button.

6. At the next screen, it willdisplay your discount rate. Click onthe ‘Quick Rate’ button. A new

window will open allowing you toprint your coupon with your barcode.

Lastly, but not forgotten arefive new members in Fort St. John,employed by Grimshaw Trucking.

We welcome to all our newmembers into membership at Local31!

Teamsters welcome newly-organized companies

31NEWS is proud to reportthat Local 31’s former Director ofLegal Resources, Don Davies, haswon re-election in the riding ofVancouver-Kingsway.

Bro. Davies was first electedto Parliament in 2008, when hedecided to run in the riding madefamous when David Emerson(elected as a Liberal) crossed thefloor to sit as a governingConservative. In 2008 he securedthe seat for the NDP, with 35% ofthe votes in the riding, which was6% more than the Liberalcandidate.

This time, in 2011, Bro.Davies won the riding by a greatermargin, securing 23,452 votes, or50% of the votes cast. He beat therunner up in the riding,Conservative Trang Nguyen, byalmost twice as many votes.

Bro. Davies will now beworking in the first-ever NDPofficial opposition in Canadianhistory, and has been named as theCritic for Public Safety andMulticulturalism, an apt portfoliosince it was reported that about 100different languages were spoken byconstituents in the riding.

Bro. Davies had this to say onhis re-election, and his years spentat Local 31:

“I am very proud of the manyyears I spent working with the menand women in Local 31. In myview, there is no greater privilegethan the opportunity to help workingpeople achieve better conditionsand fairness in the workplace.

As the only card-carryingTeamster in the House ofCommons, I am very happy tocarry that important work forwardin Parliament.

Canada is a wealthy country. It is a nation that has achieved itspotential because of the labour ofmillions of working men andwomen. I am very pleased toadvocate for a fair distribution ofour nation’s wealth to all Canadianswho play such a pivotal role increating it. Safe workplaces, fairlabour laws and good Canadian jobsare keys to our economic future.

I will continue to bring thevoices of all workers - and all mysisters and brothers in Local 31 - to our national stage.”

Davies wins re-election to Parliament inVancouver-Kingsway

Teamsters Local 31 iscelebrating its 75 years as a LocalUnion. As a member since 1973, Ilook back at our history with thegreatest of pride.

I believe, as members, wehave all witnessed our Union rise tothe challenges we as a Local havefaced throughout the years.Challenges such as erodingeconomics, recessions, collapsingmarkets, and, of course, job loss.We have always faced thesechallenges head on withdetermination and grit, and willalways continue to do so. Together,with the help of our membership,shop stewards, and your staff andelected officials, we have not onlyendured but prospered. We have alot to be grateful for.

Your Local, through constantorganizing, currently sits atapproximately 7000 members witha number of other organizing drivesunderway.

Once again this year, we willbe active at a number ofcommunity events. I believe ourinvolvement at these variousfunctions allows us to not only givesomething back to the communitieswhere we work, but also a chanceto showcase Teamsters Local 31with the use of our tractor-trailer.These events are a lot of fun for allfamily members, so take some timeand come on out and see us. Theevents are listed in the magazine.

This year is also theInternational Brotherhood ofTeamsters’ 28th NationalConvention. As a delegate, I wouldlike to thank all the members onbehalf of our entire team ofdelegates for the opportunity torepresent Local 31 members atConvention.

On a final note, I believe it isquite fitting that, on the 75thAnniversary of our Union, tenstudents of parents who are Local31 members are to receive $2500scholarships to the university orschool of their choice. From thisyear forward, ten scholarships willbe awarded by Local 31; as well,the Art Price Memorial Scholarshiphas been increased to $2500.

Brothers and Sisters, as thewarm weather approaches (Ihope), I want to wish you and yourfamilies all the best and hope to seeyou at one of several anniversaryevents the Local has planned.

Stan Hennessy, President

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Page 3

Your Teamster Truckin the Community

Look for the Teamster truck atthese events in your community thisyear:

June 4th at Hats off Day onHastings Street in Burnaby

June 12th at Sapperton Day inNew Westminster

July 24th at City Fair in Burnaby

July 31st at the 12th Street Festivalin New Westminster

November 26th at the EdmondsSanta Claus Parade in Burnaby

I am writing this letter tothank you for liberating me fromthe foodservice company that Iused to work for. The companywas a major distribution centre inthe lower mainland that was notunionized.

I worked there for 10 yearsand noticed that when it was takenover by an American companyeverything changed for the worse.The company became a cold,faceless corporation that caredsolely about corporate profits, andthe employees became just merenumbers. Every aspect of theworkplace became something thatmanagement wanted to use eitherto reward us or penalize us.

But rewards/bonuses camewith many conditions that if theywere not met, it would mean thatwe would lose our reward/bonus.This was great for management asthey would get extra production outof us and not have to give thereward/bonus to us for taking a sickday, for example. It was apparentthat whenever production targetswere met, the targets wouldincrease. Safety was just anuisance for managementregardless of the fact that WCBclaims were going through the roof.Regardless of how many years of

President Stan Hennessy:

My name is Jaskaran Haer, I am a Teamster Local 31 member sinceNovember, 2006. I work for Coast 2000 Terminals in Richmond as aHeavy Duty Mechanic. As you are well aware, in the middle of March ourcompany, Coast 2000 Terminals, locked us out after several weeks of long,hard and strenuous negotiations by our negotiating committee. Bro. Smith,Bro. Matricardi, as well as our Business Representative Bro. Sargeant dida tremendous job. Not only by getting us a wonderful contract that helpsus all for the next five years, but also being there every day fighting for uswhile answering any questions our Brothers would ask of them. Theywere rocks for us during this lockout and all the Union Brothers would liketo thank them for their tireless effort.

I would especially like to take a moment to thank our BusinessRepresentative, Bro. Sargeant. He was calm and stood strong for us onthe picket line day in and day out. Anything we asked or needed he wouldnot hesitate to provide. As with many of my other Brothers, this was myfirst ever lockout and there was a lot of unrest felt during this time. While Iwas stationed on Westgate for the morning shift, Bro. Sargeant camedown and had a long conversation with us. Not only did he ease ourthoughts and concerns, he took the time to reassure us that all Teamsterswere behind us and everything would work out for the best and gave ushope. His calm, composed and collected nature spearheaded ournegotiations and delivered us a considerable contract and the security ofknowing we were in good hands with Local 31 Teamsters.

There was a lot of uncertainty building up during our contractnegotiations and no one knew what to expect. But thanks to amazing workdone by all, we are all happily back to work and looking forward toshowing support for the Teamsters in any way we can for years to come.From the bottom of our hearts, the Brothers here at Coast 2000 Terminalswould like to thank all of the Business Representatives for their never-ending support and words of encouragement that helped with this greatoutcome.

Bro. Jaskaran HaerCoast 2000 Terminals

service we gave to the company,we were only as good as our lastday worked.

Currently, I have beenworking for a Teamsters Local 31foodservice company for over ayear and the differences between aunion and non-union company havebeen very positive. Through thecollective agreement, my familyand I are enjoying the following:

• Starting wage of $24 perhour with a $2 per hour night shiftdifferential

• Knowing exactly when andhow much my raises will be for theterm of the contract

• 100% employer fundedpension plan

• 100% employer paid MSP,Dental and Extended Healthbenefits

• Sick Days and PersonalDays with a payout option if theyare not used in the year

• Job security• Shop stewards and a clear

grievance process if a genuinedispute arises

• A safe workingenvironment where the workershave a say in safe work practices

These benefits are some ofthe obvious ones; but what I really

noticed is that I can now call what Ido a career, rather than just a job.The industry that I work in isphysically demanding, but now as amember of Teamsters Local 31, Ihave learned that it is not mentallyand emotionally stressful anymore.Just knowing that the Union and thecompany will keep the health andsafety of its workers their firstpriority is very comforting andworth going to work for. Not tomention the pension plan also givesme a sense of security and peace ofmind when I retire.

Many believe that unionizedcompanies have problems dealingwith employees. However, what Ihave found is that there are far lessproblems, because there is acollective agreement in place thatsets out clear rules and aframework of cooperation betweenthe workers and the company forthe betterment of the customer.

Today, I make more money,get better benefits, and work for acompany that doesn’t change therules every second week. I amsafer, healthier and more committedto my work than before. For this Iwould like to thank Teamsters Local31.

Bro. Sat SiekhamMartin-Brower Canada

75th AnniversaryMerchandise

To celebrate our 75thAnniversary, Local 31 is offeringmerchandise which features ournewly-designed DiamondAnniversary logo. Please come toour head office or phone AngelaMartin at 604-527-2701 to purchaseor if you have any questions. Asusual, all our merchandise is madein Canada by union labour. Allprices include taxes.

Anniversary lapel pin: $6.50

Anniversary baseball cap: $15

Anniversary hi-ball glasses(set of 4): $20

Union vs. non-union in the food service industry

Lockout at Coast 2000 Terminals settled

Anniversary t-shirts: $20

Anniversary leather jackets:$315

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Page 4

Teamsters Benefit Plan NewsDear Plan Members:

As always, we appreciate theopportunity to provide remindersand updates to those members ofTeamsters Local 31 who arecovered under our Benefit Plan.

As a member of the Plan, it’simportant for you to keep in mindthat its provisions can sometimesbe complex. Relying on BenefitPlan advice from well-intentionedco-workers can be risky. We havealso had recent reports of healthservice providers and durableequipment retailers providingmisleading information about thePlan’s coverage.

We urge you to call usdirectly at 604-552-2650 to ensureyou have accurate informationregarding the Plan’s terms. Ouroffice is open Monday to Friday,8:30 am to 4:30 pm. If you leave amessage after hours, we’ll get backto you the next morning.

Those of us at the Plan’soffice take great pride in the levelof service we’re able to provide toPlan members. We are here toanswer your questions!

Gail Johnson CEBSAdministrator

Benefit Plan News

Out-of-Province EmergencyCoverage

The Plan now uses MedexGlobal Solutions to provide serviceto members (and eligibledependents) who are on vacationor travelling and require emergencytreatment outside of B.C. Pleasenote, the coverage is still providedby the Plan. Medex provides a 24-hour contact number for ourmembers and provides assistanceto them.

Emergency treatment inanother province of Canada willoften be linked to a member’scoverage under Medical Servicesof B.C. However, if problems areencountered Medex will provideassistance.

If you are leaving for vacationoutside of B.C. please call ouroffice for a card with the Medexcontact information. Please note,this coverage is for emergencytreatment only and is limited to anemergency incurred within the firstsix weeks of any Out-of-Provincevisit.

Foremergencytreatment inNorth America,Medex shouldbe called assoon as possibleat 1-800-527-0218, Plan ID#

is 347521. If travelling outside ofNorth America the number is 1-410-453-6330.

Improved Optical CoverageAs a result of input from the

membership and a review ofchanges in the benefits industrygenerally, the Trustees approved thefollowing Plan improvements:

The Plan will cover expensesincurred for the purchase ofcorrective lenses and frames orcontact lenses and effective June 1,2011 for fees for corrective lasereye surgery when prescribed by aPhysician or Optometrist up to theapplicable limits noted below.

Effective June 1, 2011 themaximum benefit for correctivelenses and frames or contact lensesor for fees for corrective lasersurgery will be $250 per person inany 24 consecutive month period.

New Plan BookletsThe work of updating Plan

booklets is well underway. We’rehoping to distribute new booklets toPlan members in July, 2011.

Important Reminders

Is your Beneficiary informationup-to-date?

In most cases, members havenamed beneficiaries for the GroupLife Insurance and Accidental,Death and Dismemberment(AD&D) Insurance. If there is nonamed beneficiary, any deathbenefits would be paid to themember’s estate.

Are you sure the beneficiaryinformation in our files is correct?If not, please call our office. Pleasenote beneficiary information for theBenefit Plan is not linked tothat of the Teamsters’ NationalPension Plan.)

Have you checked the numberon your Drug Card?

Your Drug Card should showan employee number, not yourSocial Insurance number. Pleasecontact our office if you require areplacement.

Who qualifies as an EligibleDependent under the Plan’srules?

1) Your spouse or common-law spouse with whom you reside;

2) Your or your spouse’sunmarried child under the age of 19provided the child relies principallyupon you for support and resideswith you;

3) Your or your spouse’sunmarried child under the age of 25provided the child is in full-timeattendance at a recognized school,college or university, relies

principally upon you for support andnormally resides with you. Pleasenote, confirmation of attendance isrequired on a semester basis;

4) Your or your spouse’sunmarried child of any age who ismentally or physically handicappedto the extent that such child isincapable of self support providedthe child relies principally upon youfor support and resides with youmay be covered for EHB anddental benefits only.

In the event that you arelegally separated or divorced andthe courts order you to providecoverage for your dependents,dependents shall include:

• any child who resides withyour former spouse and meets allother conditions of being adependent, and

• a former spouse, providedyou have not appointed anotherspouse.

What are your responsibilities ifthe Plan pays you WeeklyIndemnity benefits while youwait for a decision fromWorkSafeBC?

• You must notify the Planwhen a decision is made on yourWorkSafeBC claim and provide acopy of the decision letter.

• If your claim is acceptedby Worksafe B.C. the Plan must bereimbursed for the WeeklyIndemnity benefits paid to you. It isa serious violation to collect fromboth providers for the samedisability.

• If your claim is denied byWorkSafeBC you must appeal byrequesting a review of the decision(unless you receive prior Trustee

approval for an exemption). Thereis no charge to request a review ofa WorksafeBC decision. Our officecan provide the forms, if necessary.It is a serious breach of the Plan’sterms if a request for review is notfiled with WorkSafeBC within theprescribed time limits. Please note,the Plan must be provided with acopy of the Request for Reviewand/or confirmation fromWorkSafeBC.

Why do you get a T4A slip fromthe Plan each year?

Some of the benefits providedto you under the Plan are taxable.These include any disability benefitsyou received during the year aswell as any portion of your grouplife insurance or M.S.P. premiumpaid for by your employer.

Please note, provisions of theIncome Tax Act provide that, if youpaid for a portion of the cost of thedisability benefit, you may be ableto claim a certain portion of thosecontributions against the benefit youreceived. In these cases, the Planprovides a letter with your T4A thatcan be enclosed with your taxreturn.

If a member is paying 100%of the contribution for benefits, noT4A is issued.

Who do you call with yourchange of address?

If your residential addresschanges, it is very important thatyou call both the Local 31 office at604-540-6009 and the BenefitPlan’s office at 604-552-2650. Ifyou call only the Local 31 office,the Benefit Plan will not have yournew address.

Teamsters’ NationalPension PlanPension WorkshopsPlease note: REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

Workshops will provide:• General information on the provisions of the Plan, its history, a

list of current Trustees and funded status will be available. We will alsoprovide information on the Plan’s formula for pension accrual,retirement options and death benefits.

• The Plan’s Trust Agreement, The Plan Text and the Plan’sStatement of Investment Policy will be available for members’ review.

• If required, one on one meetings will be arranged to providespecific information on your individual pension accrual as well as earlyand normal retirement options.

The workshop will be held at the Plan’s office from 5:00pmto 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 28, 2011.

1610 Kebet Way, Refreshments will be served.Port Coquitlam, B.C. We look forward to meeting with you.V3C 5W9CALL 604-552-2650 TO REGISTER!

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Page 5

Local 31 General Membership MeetingsSchedule

Vancouver2nd Wednesday of the Month623 Derwent Way, Annacis Isld7:00 p.m.Abbotsford1st Thursday of the MonthADTA Hall2570 Cyril St., AbbotsfordCustodial @ 1 p.m.General @ 6:30 p.m.Nanaimo2nd Wednesday of the Month3 – 2480 Kenworth Road7:00 p.m.

Victoria2nd Thursday of the MonthTrafalgar Pro Patria Legion,411 Gorge Rd. East7:00 p.m.Prince George and NorthernB.C.Please call 250-563-5346 or1-877-562-2531 for times andlocations

As per past practice, themeetings for June (exceptAbbotsford), July and August willbe cancelled. We will resume inSeptember.

Do you have a story idea? Do you want to express aneditorial opinion? Do you have any photos of you or fellowmembers on the job? Submit it to the [email protected] or [email protected] and it will beconsidered for publication in our next newsletter.

In February, Shop Stewards from the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valleygathered at Local 31’s meeting hall for the Shop Steward Training course.Topics included the roles and responsibilities of a Shop Steward andidentifying and drafting grievances. Local 31 is committed to educatingShop Stewards and will be hosting a Shop Steward Seminar in October. Ifyou have any suggestions for topics, please forward them [email protected]

Remembering a FatherLocal 31 Business Rep Tom Brown follows in his TeamsterDad’s footsteps

Sam Brown manning the Joint Council 36booth at a job fair

February, 1964: Sam Brown (second from right) with otherJoint Council 36 Executive in front of the East Broadwaybuilding

by Tom Brown, Fraser Valley Business Representative(photos courtesy of Joint Council 36 archives)

Sam Brown came to Vancouver in 1952 on his way to Australia. Heneeded to raise funds to bring his wife and first child out from Toronto to joinhim in Vancouver, so heapplied at Dairyland andwas hired as a deliverydriver. Vancouver becameour family’s home andDairyland was the genesisof my Father’s almost 30years as a Teamster. Hislove for anything dairy hadbegun on the farm onwhich he was raised inBelfast, Ireland. I believehis career path waspredestined. I learned fromone of his siblings that hevoiced his concerns as ateenager on the farm inIreland. He didn’t think the hired help at the farm were adequatelycompensated for their work, nor were they fed as well as the family, and thatwas wrong. He left home at 15 never to return.

The Second World War brought him to Canada, a country with which hefell in love and that had a political party (CCF) that fit his philosophy, a desireto help the common working man and woman. The labour movement was hispassion and he soon found a local connection with the NDP, a party thatshared this same philosophy. As a young child I remember many meetings inour home and big 4X8 plywood signs letting the neighbours know who theBrowns were voting for.

Dad became a shop steward at Dairyland very early in his employmentthere and then ran and was elected as a Business Agent for Local 464 in 1960.

He moved from Business Agent to the research director for Joint Council36, a position he held for 20 years. I remember accompanying him to 490 E.Broadway to his office on a Saturday or Sunday morning and, while he wasworking, I would push the big broom around the hallways and peek into the bighall where a raucous meeting was taking place. Dad was able to keep a goodbalance between work and his role in raising three boys and coached oursoccer teams. I remember wearing a blue and yellow JC36 Teamster uniformfor a number of seasons. I also remember going to his peers’ homes for dinnerand have especially fond memories of visiting Peter Wilson’s home. When Dadpassed away at an all too early age of 62, his coworkers and friends togetherraised funds and set up a bursary at BCIT in his name. For 25 years mymother, brothers and my children have all proudly been there to hand out theSam Brown Memorial Scholarship to deserving students from differentfaculties at BCIT. Dad was always a supporter of the Vocational School (now

part of BCIT)and youngpeople furtheringtheir education.He was asked tospeak tostudents onmany occasions,proudlyrepresenting theTeamsters.

I musthave inheritedsome of thatDNA from myfather as I alsowas a shopsteward forTeamsters Local

31 early in my career with Canadian Freightways and have also become aBusiness Representative. I’m extremely proud to work for a Local whosePresident, Stan Hennessy, recognizes that education is a very importantcomponent for the young workforce of today. One of my favorite days on thejob is when I get to hand a scholarship cheque to a deserving child orgrandchild of a Local 31 member.

To All the Fathers out there have a Happy Fathers Day 2011!

Sheila Doyle is aTeamsters Local 31 shopsteward employed as aTranscriber at the AbbotsfordPolice Department. Local 31represents civilian employees atthe APD.

Sis. Doyle started at theAPD in 2006 as a casual,working in communications atthe front counter. She moved toa temporary full-time RecordsClerk at the front counter inJuly, 2006, and then to a full-time position as a Transcriber ayear later.

She then became an FISClerk from January to

September, 2008 but is currently aTranscriber working shift work.

In 2010, she was secondedfor six weeks to produce theAPD’s 2010 Annual Report. SisDoyle also oversaw the creation ofthe APD’s branding logo, whichincorporated the Department’svalues.

Local 31 represents membersworking in a variety of jobs inindustries such as trucking,warehousing, the public sector,school bus driving, packagedelivery, bottling, food service,tourism, moving and grocers, and isproud to highlight the work of ourmembers.

Profile of a Teamster: Sheila Doyle

Committed to educating our members

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Page 6

Did you know... Fascinating Teamster Facts

Teamsters are largely to be found in the transportation industry andmost are quite familiar with the large mammal known as the Moose, forthese ungulates are quite numerous in several provinces and pose a veryreal threat to vehicles moving at speed on our highways. It seems hard tocomprehend, yet frequently a collision with a moose, even by a transporttruck, can be a stalemate, taking out both the moose and the truck, andoften causing injury to the passengers, more often so if a passenger vehicleis involved.

I know many people who have been involved with moose-relatedcollisions, and for that reason when the cow moose and her twin young oflast year showed up at the ranch, we neither encouraged or deterred theirpresence. The winter had been long and rebounding temperatures hadretarded the early growth that marks the return of spring. The horses werealarmed at first, snorting and running in their pens, but soon enough therewas an uneasy truce, and eventually we all got used to sharing this space. Iwould herd the moose away from one shed to feed the horse nearest thehouse, and then chatter loudly to the horses as I approached the secondshed, albeit while carrying my hay fork. Madelaine incurred one bite on hernose from the moose, likely a case of both mother’s defending their young.My horse will not be scarred, the moose eat much less hay than horses,and Iconsiderthat duringthe timethe moosespent here,thehighwayswere thatmuchsafer formyTeamsterbrothersandsisters.

Photo and Story by Lorrina MitchellLocal 31 Yukon office

The 2011 Teamster Women’sConference is scheduled for August26-28 at the Sheraton Hotel andTowers in New York City. Theopening session will be held Friday,August 26 and the conference willadjourn on Sunday afternoon,August 28.

If you are a female Teamstermember and are interested inattending this year’s conference,please write to:

Stan Hennessy, PresidentTeamsters Local 311 Grosvenor SquareDelta BC V3M 5S1Fax: 604-523-1897Your application should

include your name, place of work,and contact information. Pleaseapply as soon as possible. Deadlinefor applications is July 15, 2011.

Moose a frequent hazard up North

2011 marks the 75th anniversary of Local 31, but did you know thatthe Teamsters have been in British Columbia since February 1919? It allbegan when the Milk Sales Drivers and Dairy Employees Union, Local464, were granted a Charter in February 1919, followed by the BakerySalesmens Union, Local 371 and the Truck Drivers Union, Local 665.These Locals comprised Joint Council 36 and a Joint Council Charter wasissued on October 2, 1919. During the next few years the Locals and theJoint Council saw growth and then decline, resulting in the closure ofLocals 371 and 665.

Despite the fall of Locals 371 and 665, Local 464 steadily grew andin 1925 applied for a new Charter for the Truck Drivers Union, Local 466.Over the next couple of years, Locals 464 and 466 continued to organizeand eventually received a Charter for the Taxicab, Stage and Bus DriversUnion, Local 151. The next group to join the Joint Council was Local 189,the Bakery Salesmens Union.

The Depression had an extreme impact on the Union and the JointCouncil saw the end of Local 466. The Joint Council remained united andbattled through the early years of the Depression. This strength resulted ina Local Union Charter being issued for the General Truck Drivers Union,Local 31 on November 6, 1936. Various other locals were chartered andjoined the Joint Council in the years following, including Locals 213, 842,885 and 351. The Joint Council is currently comprised of Locals 31, 155,213 and 464.

Throughout the years, Joint Council 36 and Local 31 have battledthough adversity, but have continued to transform and expand. This growthis evident from our Charter, which sets out Local 31’s jurisdiction as:

Teamsters – representing employees in freight, cartage, movingand storage, specialized trucking, warehousing, bus, courier,airlines, specialized food, office, public sector and miscellaneousjurisdiction, province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory,Canada.

(*Additional historical data may be found in “The Teamsters in British Columbia” by BruceW. Laffling, March 1967)

2011 TeamsterWomen’s Conference

New York, NY

The littlest Teamster has beengrowing and learning at anaccelerated rate. From early on, hewas accompanying his dam whileshe worked and observing what isexpected from those beings whoare exemplified by the Teamsterlogo. He is a calm and intelligent

young fellow and his first lessonsince being weaned from his damat the age of 9 1/2 months, hasbeen to learn to come to his namewhen called. Previous to expectinghim to perform this task, we had toestablish a ‘benefit plan’.

As the colt learned to eat hayand grain, he was also introduced tohorse treats, small flat chunks ofcompressed grains and molasses

specifically designed to beappealing to equines. Once Handyhad learned to enjoy these treats,he was given a couple of themeach time he came when called.He is now most reliable inresponding to his name, evenleaving his hay just put out to cometo the gate when called. As withthe workplace, the ‘benefit plan’ isan important part of the overall

compensation to theindividual.

Handy is now ofsufficient size that hehas worn a saddle padand surcingle inpreparation for hiseventual purpose as acompanionable ridingmount. Here the colt ispictured on the day ofhis first introduction tohis future ‘workingwardrobe’.

The other half of theTeamster Logo has been learningnew skills this winter. Caramel,Handy’s ‘aunt’ has been learning tobow and kneel. Though in the wildsuch a posture would put her atrisk, she is willing to participatethrough shared trust and respect.

That’s Teamsters for you,knowing how to get the job done.

The littlest Teamster turns one!Photo and Story by Lorrina MitchellLocal 31 Yukon office

Next up: PurolatorNext up: PurolatorNext up: PurolatorNext up: PurolatorNext up: Purolatorby Dave Cooper, Business Representative

Teamsters will be ready to start negotiations with Purolator the firstweek of September. That was the decision made by the Canada Council ofTeamsters at its Divisional meeting this past April. President of Local 31and International Vice-President Stan Hennessy attended these meetingswith Business Representative Dave Cooper, who is the newly-appointedAssistant Director (West) for the Parcel and Package Division.

During the course of the three-day meetings, President Hennessy toldthe Committee of principal officers and business agents from across thecountry that he believed it was so important that we start negotiations earlyfor the 10,000 Purolator Teamsters across Canada. It was unanimouslyagreed that we address this set of negotiations in the same manner as in2010 where we were successful in reaching a landmark agreement inCanada with UPS, ratified with over 83% approval.

Bro. Cooper will be co-chairing these negotiations and has justconcluded taking proposals from the Purolator members in B.C. ThroughJuly and August President Hennessy and Bro. Cooper will be attendingRegional and National correlation meetings along with officers andbusiness representatives from across Canada. A full set of proposals willbe formalized, with collective bargaining commencing in September.

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by Chris Coakley, Manager, PocoBuilding Supplies Ltd.(photos courtesy of Poco BuildingSupplies’ archives)

Thebeginnings ofPort CoquitlamTransfer &Building SuppliesLtd., started in1919 when R.C.(Jack) Galeradded andexpanded hisshoe store’sproduct mix tobegin deliveringfuel (sawdust); and while he wasalready at the lumber mill, (wherethe Companys’ life-long recyclingcommitment began) he startedpicking up lumber so that our localresidents could start building theirdreams.

In May, 1921 the PortCoquitlam Transfer Company wasincorporated, and our future began.

Jack ran the one-truckcompany on his own, until his son,

John joined him in the late 1930’s.When John was denied entry in theCanadian Army in 1940, as anessential service to the Canadianwar effort, John spent the next fiveyears delivering cement to theAbbotsford Airport, on theCompany truck, three trips a day,250 100-pound bags, each trip, handloaded, and each bag hand unloadedby his own hand.

In 1947 John becamePresident of the Company, aposition he held until he passed theCompany on to his sons Bob andJoe, and their sister Lynette in 1985.

Another significant milestonewas that in 1949 the Companysigned on as Teamster Local 31company, as more of the businesswas freight and cartage. The fleeteventually expanded to 14 trucksand tractors carrying everyimaginable cargo: building materials,gravel, fuel, wine(!), engines andparts that made plants, mines andbusinesses run throughout BritishColumbia. (There is no record ofanimal hides or fish parts though).

Longtime Local 31 companycelebrates 90 years in business

Ramp Equipment Operators Rob Selles (left), Ferdinand Comendador (right) and Christina Titleborn(operating loader) loading flight 276 destined for Winnipeg and Montreal. Bros. Selles, Comendador andSis. Titleborn are members at Purolator Air Operations at the Vancouver Airport. (photo by Pat Symons,Purolator Courier)

Teamsters on the job

1977: Poco Transfer float in Port Coquitlam’sMay Day Parade

1968: Employees in Poco Transfer’s yard

The focus of our Teamstersnow is primarily lumber deliveries,and the occasional cartage job orlifting materials with the truck-mounted cranes.

We will be holding celebrationsthroughout our 90th Anniversary yearto mark this milestone.

Purolator Courier and itsTeamster drivers are helping tokeep a little girl from Nelson, B.C.alive by delivering her life-savingbreast milk from mothers acrossCanada free of charge.

Anaya is 20 months old andsuffers from a neurodegenerativedisease called Krabbeleukodystrophy.

With a short life expectancyfor Anaya, her mother, Camara, isfighting to keep her daughtercomfortable. To do this, she hasasked for the help of lactatingmoms across Canada to send herbreast milk, which is about the onlything that Anaya’s body cantolerate. To get the word out,Camara used Facebook and alsohas a website and blog aboutAnaya.

Enter Purolator. MaryLabrecque, Calgary SalesCoordinator, and Taylor Pressey,Regional Sales Manager, SouthernAlberta, heard about Camara andAnaya from Andy Martiniello,Regional Sales Manager, Vaughn,Ontario. Andy heard about themfrom a friend in Calgary who wasinvolved with the family.

Mary and Taylor readAnaya’s blog and “it touched ourhearts so deeply that we knew wehad to get involved.”

Mary and Taylor met with alady named Sarah who wasalready involved with collectingmilk from mothers. Mary andTaylor offered their assistance.After learning that there were 10different women supplying breastmilk from eight cities across

Canada, Mary undertook thelogistics of getting the milk toAnaya.

She contacted each breastmilk donor through email andtelephone. She then made specialarrangements to have all the milksent by Purolator to its Calgarydepot. Mary personally kept all thedelivered milk in the freezer to keepit from spoiling. She then workedwith Purolator operations teams inB.C. and Calgary to ensure that themilk was delivered before 9:00 a.m.the next day to ensure it did notthaw and spoil.

In a recent Province newsstory, Camara said that the expenseof breast milk has been affordablefor the family because “Purolatorsaved the day” by offering freeshipping. Their freezer is full ofmilk – enough to last about sixmonths – and Camara is signing upnew milk donors because littleAnaya has lived seven monthslonger than the average age of achild with Krabbe.

31NEWS would like to saluteMary, Taylor and Andy fromPurolator Calgary, for recognizing aneed and organizing assistance forAnaya and her family. As well, wewould like to thank our Teamstermembers across Canada who had ahand in delivering life-givingnourishment to a little girl in Nelson,B.C.

If you would like to learnmore about Anaya:

www.healinganaya.comwww.healinganaya.blogspot.comFacebook: The Anaya Initiative

Purolator helps deliver ‘gift of life’

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How to Reach Your Union Representatives

Local 31 Toll Free 1-877-LOCAL31Local 31 Reception (604) 540-6009

Local 31 Fax (604) 540-6073 or (604) 523-1897www.teamsters31.ca

Lower Mainland RepresentativesTerry Tyler (604) 527-2711 [email protected] Popeniuk (604) 527-2706 [email protected] Sargeant (604) 527-2718 [email protected] Van Grol (604) 527-2709 [email protected] Cooper (604) 527-2708 [email protected]

AbbotsfordTom Brown 604-504-4520 [email protected]

1-877-562-2531

Vancouver Island1-877-562-2531

Prince GeorgeAnthony Kirk (250) 563-5346 [email protected]

YukonJure Kelava (867) 667-2473

Organizing Dept.Toll Free: 1-877-BE UNIONJure Kelava (604) 527-2722 [email protected]

Dispatch (604) 527-2718

DuesAngela Martin (604) 527-2701Dianne Pett (604) 527-2702

Executive OfficeStan Hennessy (604) 527-2716 [email protected] Blackburn (604) 527-2707 [email protected]

Teamsters H&W & Pension(604) 552-2650

Toll Free 1-888-478-8111

Local 31 extends its condolences to thefamilies of the following members who havepassed away.

Barry Pollard Van-Kam 60Donald McBeth Lomak Transport 63Judy Gambill School District 34 62Bruce J. Babbs Canada Drayage 48William Parsons Stewarts Cartage 80 (retired)

Congratulations Local 31 retirees!

31NEWS is an official publication of Teamsters Local Union No. 31,affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,Teamsters Canada and the Canadian Labour Congress.

Edited by: Terry Tyler, Communications Coordinator &Stan Hennessy, President

Layout: Stephanie Pike All Graphics by CALM

Name Company Years aTeamster

Richard Albinet Pt Coquitlam Transfer 30Walter Arnold School District 34 29Vernon Bell Murray Latta Progressive 41Robert Bowen Prince George Transit 7Ulla Cupit School District 34 20James Davidson Purolator Burnaby 12Permjit Dhaliwal HBC LogisticsGrenvell Dieno Western Cartage 25Wilfred Houston 38Gurdave Kadola Woodco Fibre CarriersRobert Keller Superior PropaneDonald Klone Canadian Freightways 30Robert Lambertus Salmons Transfer 30James Land F&G Delivery 37Bruce Mayo YRC Reimer 38Valarie McDonald School District 34 10Teresa Misic Metro Vancouver 15James Mullaney School District 34 5Richard Neville Prince George Transit 35Ralph Sembsmoen North 60 Petro 21Denice Thompson Vancouver Police 6Bryan Wainwright Purolator Richmond

Death Benefit CardsThis is a reminder to all Local 31 members that it is very important to

have a Death Benefit Card filled out and submitted to the Local 31 DuesOffice.

Also, if your beneficiary needs to be changed or if you would like tocheck that your beneficiary information is current, please come to theHead office or phone Angela Martin at (604) 527-2701 or Dianne Pett at(604) 527-2702 and they will check their records.

IBT Teamster Magazine for RetireesThe May/June 2010 issue of the Teamster magazine (sent from

Washington, D.C.) has been sent out and will be the final Teamstermagazine for the Retirees. However, retirees are still entitled to keep theirfree subscription and can do so by calling the Local Union advising of theirrequest. Please contact Angela Martin at 604-527-2701 or Dianne Pett at604-527-2702 to request the IBT magazine.

If you are a retiree who would like to continue receiving the LocalUnion newsletter (31News), please contact Bernadette Bajo at 604-527-2714 to be put on the mailing list.

If you are absent from work for any reasonMembers are responsible for keeping their dues current when they

are absent from work.If your dues lapse you could lose seniority with your company and

become suspended. If you become suspended, you must pay a re-initiationfee.

Keep your dues current!Call the Dues office to check your membership status.604-527-2701 Angela604-527-2702 Dianne

DUES VIEWS: Important messages from yourDues Department