Teamsters Canada Rail Conference

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 16,000. The two largest membership additions include the TCRC-Maintenance of Way Division members, the Conductors Trainmen and Yardmen at CP and CN.

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.