OTTAWA, September 19 — Canada’s capital city is the gathering place for the first national convention of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which began here today and will continue for three days. The TCRC was created when former BLE members in the U.S. chose to merge with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to become the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and Canadian BLE members simultaneously opted to join Teamsters Canada, thus becoming the TCRC.
The meetings will see delegates from all of Canada’s provinces come together under new circumstances, or as TCRC President Gilles Hallé wrote in a recent message to the membership, “Canadian members thus finally realized their dream of managing their own affairs within a truly independent Canadian entity.
“While there have been some growing pains associated with the Canadian operations becoming a fully autonomous entity, your Executive Board feels that we have been able to overcome obstacles and move forward advancing the interests of the membership,” Hallé continued. “None of this could have been accomplished without the steadfast support of our brothers and sisters.
“Our First National Convention will take place in Ottawa in September 2006 and we are all looking forward to a positive outpouring of ideas to move the Conference forward and make us a model labor organization.”
On the eve of the convention, President Hallé spoke for the TCRC Executive Board saying, “I would l like to thank all members of the TCRC, Teamsters Canada and the IBT for their help and support.”
Delegates to this first quadrennial convention will consider numerous proposed changes to the TCRC Bylaws, nominate certain officers for election to their Executive Board, and hear reports and speeches from numerous dignitaries and government officials.
By invitation, BLET National President Don M. Hahs will attend, as will First Vice President E. W. Rodzwicz, and National Secretary-Treasurer W. C. Walpert, as will officials from Teamsters Canada.
Eighty-four TCRC Divisions are sending 113 delegates to the convention, which will conclude Thursday, September 21.