"I was there when we brought the Union in. The first-time contract they won for us was unbelievable. It changed the quality of my life. I am now a Shop Steward and enjoy working with my Union and looking after my fellow workers. "
Well, that wasn’t fun, was it?
2020 entered onto the scene with bright hopes for what was to come and some visible challenges that we’d have to overcome, with plans in place to address those challenges.
However, a curveball was thrown in the form of some of the most significant challenges we’ve faced as a society in our lifetimes.
Climate Change continues to cause terrifying effects across the globe, from the devastating fires in Australia and the US west coast to the record storms smashing into the east coast of the US. From Tiger King to Murder Hornets, nothing captured our attention quite like the Coronavirus pandemic.
Nothing in recent memory has driven more immediate change in our lives, workplaces and household finances. Although the pandemic continues to rage on, our membership has continued to get the job done for the rest of the Province.
Local 464’s members in Dairy and Bakery, and the drivers to transport the goods, continued to keep products on the shelves of our local supermarkets, more than meeting the needs of a concerned populace. As Institutional customers slowed down, mothers and fathers stayed at home with their children and helped pass on the seldom-used knowledge of “how to”, reigniting the long-missing desire to bake and cook gourmet meals, purchasing our products to aid in the creation process.
This Christmas Season, this is what I will be thinking about: how the members of this little Local Union shrugged off the challenges before us and continued to provide sustenance for the rest of us, making the product, getting it to the store shelves and into the hands of the customer.
As 2021 nears, I wish for a speedy end of this pandemic life, but hope for the renewed eye on worker safety to remain in our workplaces, protecting our members and their families for years to come.
To our front-line workers, on behalf of myself, the Executive Board, Officers and staff of Teamsters Local 464, I wish you all a safe and Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2021. We couldn’t be prouder of you all!
Paul Barton
Secretary-Treasurer