State of the Union
The following are excerpts from a recent discussion with Teamsters Local 938 President, Craig McInnes after the first quarter of his new term of office. EDITOR
Succession Planning
Almost two years ago the process started to bring me up to speed with the myriad of responsibilities necessary for this job. As you might recall, there was a lot of unfinished business that Larry McDonald had to clear from his plate in order to put the plan forward of what this Local Union was going to look like heading into the future. At that time I was appointed Executive Assistant to the President, which was a great learning curve for me by taking on more and more responsibility with respect to the running of the local and overseeing the staff. I quickly became seasoned and I now feel comfortable in saying, have earned my degree. I have to thank Larry for instigating that process, the transition worked very well.
Looking back on the first quarter.
The first quarter has been the litmus test for me and so far there have been no major bumps in the road, I have received great support from both the membership and the staff and I guess the only hurdle has been educating the employers that this transition doesn’t mean that we’re starting all over again and is just a continuation of what has been. Their expectation is that they can bypass our stewards and business agents and jump to the front of the line by calling me direct for input and favours. They need to know and understand that this expectation couldn’t be further from the truth, our local is membership driven and I answer to the membership only! There are certainly no favours to be had by coming direct to the President’s office.
We’ve been through a tremendous amount of negotiations during this first quarter and the ratification numbers are fantastic! While we’ve experienced a few setbacks, some with mitigating circumstances, the process has been very positive. We simply have to stay focused on our plan and move forward collectively. I don’t believe in dwelling on the past, when it’s over, it’s over and we need to move on and build for the future. I want us to be progressive so that we don’t stagnate and I want the staff to think in the same manner. I believe that the membership is much more educated today than they were 10 years ago and have more to say and we’re listening to them. Their input is important and it will help us all during this progression.
Organizing is our key!
Our intention is to grow this local and in a word that means…organize!
If we don’t incorporate growth into our operating principles, then we will die a long, slow death and I’m not prepared to let that happen. We currently have a lot of irons in the fire with several campaigns underway with significant possibilities
Through this process we expect there will be legal battles and we’re prepared for that. As you might expect, organizing uncovers many loopholes and we have to find a way to close those loopholes. If we have to fight in the courts or at the board level…so be it! We’re prepared to do just that in order to grow the local and add to our membership, strength in numbers is a very appealing equation in my eyes.
Our Executive Board is now complete!
As you have likely read on our news page, we have now completed the selection of several members to fill the vacancies on the Executive Board. This process took us several months but it has been worth the wait and I am happy to report that we have an Executive that is working in complete unison in terms of our goals for the local and its membership to take it into the future. More importantly, this group represents all aspects of our membership, they have all been involved in the Teamsters for many years and bring plenty of experience, dedication and fresh ideas to the challenges of the future.
Headed for the Future!
It’s going to be a busy year and I don’t see it slowing down. It appears to be the year of contracts, thus far, our negotiation results are nothing short of spectacular, I attribute this to a membership that is a lot more aware of the current economic conditions and as a result, they aren’t raising the bar to unrealistic levels. They know what is attainable, this appreciation for the current conditions certainly makes our job a lot easier when we don’t have to educate the membership on the realities of the marketplace.
We plan on getting involved in more community charity work in the future. While we’ve backed off the Local golf tournament this year due to the current economic conditions, this doesn’t mean that it won’t come back down the road. Our goal is to not take anything on that we feel we might fail at or won’t achieve what we set out to do. As the economic conditions shift, we will announce our plans to all of you.
In closing, I would like to thank you all for your support during the first three months of my presidency. When Larry McDonald left, it was a big void to fill, he was a very popular President and took on huge challenges and restored the local back to what it is today. I know that I have to live up to my abilities in order to carry on his legacy and that is my self-imposed challenge. In saying that, I appreciate the opportunity given me to deliver this to all of our members.
Your in solidarity,
Craig McInnes,
President