TCRC
National Office
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference evolved from the former BLE,
through a Merger Agreement with our Teamsters Brothers and Sisters. The
Rail Traffic Controllers were part of this process having joined the BLE
about 14 years ago. Other crafts have joined the TCRC, particularly
within the last four years, expanding the membership to over 10,000. The
two largest membership additions include the TCRC-Maintenance of Way
Division members, and the Conductors Trainmen and Yardmen at CP.
The TCRC National Office resides in Ottawa, where the National
Legislative Director works as well. The TCRC National Office and
National Executive Board consist of a President, Vice President,
Secretary Treasurer, one Recording Secretary and three Trustees. The
President, Vice President, and S&T are all elected by a rank and file
membership vote following the TCRC Convention. The remainder of the
Executive Board is elected at Convention by the Delegates. The President
and Vice President are full time officers, the remainder of the
Executive Board positions are not full time. Terms of office are four
years. The Executive Board meets quarterly throughout the year, and once
a year the Board meets with all of the General Chairman and Provincial
Legislative Board Chairmen to coordinate activities and strategize for
the upcoming year.
TCRC Divisions
TCRC Divisions are the equivalent of former UTU Locals. These Divisions
are located at most Rail Terminals throughout Canada. It is possible to
have more than one Division within a particular city, usually to
coincide with different Railroads. The Divisions which are multi-craft
contain more than one Local Committee of Adjustment, so there are craft
specific Local Chairman. Each Division elects a President, Vice
President, Secretary Treasurer, Alternate S&T, a Chaplin, three
Trustees, a Legislative Representative and a TCRC Convention Delegate.
In multi-craft Divisions there is also an Alternate LR for each craft
and an additional craft delegate to the TCRC Convention. Each Local
Committee of Adjustment elects a Chairman and two Vice Local Chairs. The
Division Legislative Representative is a delegate to the Provincial
Legislative Board, the Local Chairmen are delegates to their respective
General Committee(s).
Craft autonomy within a multi-craft Division exists in a variety of
ways.
- Local Committee of Adjustment Elections are such that a member
must hold seniority in the craft in order to run for a position,
however only those members working under the jurisdiction of that
Local Committee of Adjustment are eligible to vote.
- Local working conditions of a craft may not be revised or
changed unless authorized to do so by a majority of votes from
members holding seniority and working in the craft. If more than one
craft is involved, should one craft reject the issue the matter
remains unchanged.
- Local Committee dues and expenses are decided by those members
under the jurisdiction of that Local Committee of Adjustment.
TCRC Provincial Legislative Boards
These Boards consist of the Division Legislative Representative from
each Division within the Province. The Legislative Rules within the TCRC
Bylaws govern the establishment or abolishment, the operation,
jurisdiction, and other matters which apply to these Boards. There are
presently six Provincial Boards, and these Boards exist in most
Provinces where there are members. (British Columbia does not presently
have a Provincial Board.) Each Board elects a Chairman, and each member
represented by PLB pays a PLB dues assessment. The Board Chairman is
also a member of the National Legislative Board.
TCRC National Legislative Board
TCRC-NLB consists of the Chairmen from each Provincial Board, as well as
the National Legislative Director who is Chairman of the NLB. The
National Legislative Director is elected at convention by the delegates.
Operation and jurisdiction of the NLB is governed by the Legislative
Rules within the TCRC Bylaws. There is an NLB dues assessment paid by
each member.
TCRC General Committees of Adjustment
There are presently ten General Committees within the TCRC. General
Committees represent members primarily along craft lines at the major
carriers. For example, the Conductors Trainman and Yardman at CP Rail
have one GCA in Eastern Canada, and one GCA in Western Canada. The
Locomotive Engineers also have one Eastern GCA and one Western GCA at
CP. The Rail Traffic Controllers have one General Committee that
represents all RTC members in Canada at all carriers. Presently at CN
there are three Locomotive Engineer General Committees, and should the
CN Conductors, Trainmen and Yardmen join the TCRC they will also
maintain General Committees at CN. There is one General Committee at VIA
Rail, and one General Committee at Algoma Central Railway.
The jurisdiction, autonomy and authority of these General Committees is
governed by the General Committee Rules within the TCRC Bylaws. These
General Committees have jurisdiction over Collective Agreements and
other related employment matters, have the ability to formulate their
own GCA Bylaws, establish GCA dues levels, control their own finances,
set their own budgets, and are responsible to conduct periodic GCA
Meetings and elections, all consistent with the TCRC Bylaws. The
autonomy of the General Committees extends to having the ability of
purchasing property, and merging their administration. For example, in
2004 the two Western General Committees at CP joined their offices
together, reduced duplicated services and saved sufficient money to
allow them to purchase their own office space instead of relying on the
rental market to dictate their expenses.
The financial autonomy of a General Committee means that the
memberships’ GCA dues are not controlled by someone else. The funds paid
to the General Committee are managed by the GCA Secretary Treasurer. The
S&T receives the dues deductions from the employer, and is then
responsible to distribute that money properly and to pay the bills of
the General Committee while managing any surplus. The TCRC Bylaws
provide for sufficient protection of members’ money through annual
reports to each Division as well as protection through bonding.
Teamsters Canada
The TCRC relationship with Teamsters Canada is the same as every other
Local Union within Teamsters Canada. Assistance and support is provided
through the various functions of the Teamsters Canada National Office.
Services include but are not limited to; Legal assistance when
necessary, full time Government Lobbyist, Communications and Public
Affairs, Education and Organizing. TCRC is also active is several of the
Teamsters Joint Councils. Additionally, the TCRC is entitled to a number
of delegates to Teamsters Canada convention, as provided for in Section
2 of the By-Laws of Teamsters Canada in the same manner as every other
affiliate. This provides 1 delegate for the first 1000 members and then
1 additional delegate for each additional 750 members or major fraction
thereof.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
The relationship with the IBT is clearly outlined in the original Merger
Agreement between the IBLE and IBT. Numerous aspects related to
membership, eligibility to run for office and vote, charges and appeals,
etc, are specifically governed through the IBT Constitution. Canadian
autonomy is protected for items not covered within the Merger Agreement,
as the TCRC Bylaws shall govern in the event of any inconsistency with
the IBT Constitution. The TCRC is entitled to delegates to the IBT
Convention on the basis of one delegate for the first 1000 members and
then 1 additional delegate for each additional 750 members or major
fraction thereof. These TCRC delegates are elected at large in a mail
ballot election directly by the TCRC Membership.
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