Hazel McCallion (1921-2023)

Teamsters Union Local 938 are saddened with the passing of Hazel McCallion, an ardent supporter and Honorary Member of our Local. Ms. McCallion served the City of Mississauga as Mayor for an unprecedented 36 years and received the Order of Canada, among many other honours throughout her career. Hazel passed just shy of her 102nd. birthday.

Variety Village Big Winner at OTI Golf Tourney

130 golfers enjoyed a soggy, but fun-filled day on the links at the Lionhead Golf & Country Club in Brampton, Ontario on Tuesday, July 5th 2022. At the closing dinner, a cheque for $130,000 was presented to Variety Village, the Children’s Charity on behalf of Teamsters Joint Council 52 who hosted the event.
Presenting the proceeds of the OTI Golf Tournament to Karen Stinz, President & CEO, Variety Village, the Children’s Charity of Ontario are event organiser Craig McInnes, President of Teamsters Union Local 938, and (left) Megan Gardiner his Executive Assistant.
Representing Teamster Union Local 938 are (l to R) Rick Davies, Mike Cooper, Vince Johnson, Mike Broderick, Daryl Poole, Wayne Franklin and Craig McInnes.

Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Website Link

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Remembering Brother Val Neal

We learned with regret and sadness that Brother Val Neal passed away from COVID-19 a few days ago.

Val Neal has been a prominent figure in the Teamsters Union for nearly 5 decades. He became a Business Agent at Teamsters Local Union 938 in the mid-1960s and eventually held the position of Secretary-Treasurer in the early 90s with Charlie Thibault as President. In the mid-90s, he was appointed by then Teamsters Canada President Louis Lacroix to the position of Director of Teamsters Canada’s Parcel Division which he held until his retirement in 2010.
Our members in the Package Division work under good contracts today as a result of Brother Neal’s skill and dedication and the Local Union Business Agents from across the country learned well from him through the process.

Our most sincere condolences to his wife Kathy and family from Teamsters members everywhere.

National Day of Mourning

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember those who died, or were injured or made ill, from their work. It is also a day people are asked to recommit to improving health and safety and preventing tragedies in the workplace.
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Local 938 Wishes to Provide Our Members with the Up to Date Information About Social Programs and Government Resources

We have done our best to capture programs for our Members residing in Ontario
Link Here to Download PDF

Federal Safety Guidance to Protect Drivers and Limit the Spread of COVID-19 in Commercial Vehicle Operations

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember those who died, or were injured or made ill, from their work. It is also a day people are asked to recommit to improving health and safety and preventing tragedies in the workplace.
Link Here to Download PDF

COVID-19 and Your Employment Rights

If a person tests positive for COVID-19 and is under quarantine, but does not develop the illness, or if a person goes into self-isolation, they can apply for Employment Insurance sickness benefits online at https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness/apply.html by providing a record of employment (ROE) from their employer with the code “D – Illness”. Workers don’t have to wait to receive their ROE statement to apply for sickness benefits.

Two days after submitting their claim for EI sickness benefits, workers should call 1-833-381-2725 (toll free) to waive the one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits.

Don’t go to a Service Canada office. Instead, use online or telephone services at 1 800 O-Canada.

If an employer closes the business and you are laid off indefinitely, you can apply for regular EI benefits at https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/privacy-notice.html by providing a record of employment (ROE) from your employer with the code “A – Lack of work”.

If someone refuses to work because of the risk of contracting the virus, they can apply for regular EI benefits, but the employer will produce an ROE marked with “E = Voluntary termination” or “N = Leave”.

There is no guarantee these claims will be accepted as each application is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

In a Nutshell:

  • If a person is under quarantine but does not have the disease: the reason on their record of employment must be “D – Illness”.
  • If a person goes into voluntary isolation: the reason on their record of employment must be “D – Illness”. Claims will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • If an employer closes his business, the reason on the worker’s record of employment must be “A – Lack of work”.
  • If a worker refuses to work because of the risk, the reason on their record of employment must be “E – Voluntary termination” or “N = Leave. Claims will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Source: Federal government of Canada

Coming Out Victorious

Ottawa must help families affected by temporary or permanent shutdowns, layoffs or by sickness.

We learned with regret and sadness that Brother Val Neal passed away from COVID-19 a few days ago.
Val Neal has been a prominent figure in the Teamsters Union for nearly 5 decades. He became a Business Agent at Teamsters Local Union 938 in the mid-1960s and  eventually held the position of Secretary-Treasurer in the early 90s with Charlie Thibault as President. In the mid-90s, he was appointed by then Teamsters Canada President  Louis Lacroix to the position of Director of Teamsters Canada’s Parcel Division which he held until his retirement in 2010.
Our members in the Package Division work under good contracts today as a result of Brother Neal’s skill and dedication and the Local Union  Business Agents from across the country learned well from him through the process.
Our most sincere condolences to his wife Kathy and family from Teamsters members everywhere.

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember those who died, or were injured or made ill, from their work. It is also a day people are asked to recommit to improving health and safety and preventing tragedies in the workplace.

We have done our best to capture programs for our Members residing in Ontario

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember those who died, or were injured or made ill, from their work. It is also a day people are asked to recommit to improving health and safety and preventing tragedies in the workplace.


The COVID-19 pandemic is global. We are facing one of our greatest challenges, but it’s not the first time that collectively and individually, we are faced with adversity. I notice, with satisfaction, that we are already showing solidarity and compassion for one another.

I would like to remind all our members and the population, that they must comply with the directives of our governments in order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Furthermore, we commend the courage and determination of those who, despite the crisis, must continue to work to provide essen- tial services to the population, be it food distribution, patient care or transport of people.

Over the past 120 years, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have sacrificed themselves on several occasions and have shown bravery in helping their peers in different tragic cir- cumstances. This is what our brave members continue doing, every day, during this unprecedented crisis.
However, I want to remind the Federal Government that it will have to make sure that it provides financial support to workers who lose their jobs temporarily or permanently. Whether it’s because a factory is temporarily shutting down or because an employee is sick, Ottawa must intervene to put in place financial assistance to support those workers and their families.
In concluding, I would like to salute the work of the hundreds of union representatives, employees, union stewards and principal officers of Teamsters’ local unions who have been working on the field or telecommuting to ensure the workers’ safety and the smooth running of Canadian society.
I wish you all good luck. May humanity come together and come out victorious from this ordeal. In Solidarity,

The President of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte
Teamsters represent close to 125,000 workers in Canada in all industries. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.
Members of Teamsters Local 938 Retirees Club Executive at their annual Xmas luncheon, present a cheque for $1,000 and a table full of toys for needy children in Mississauga to Maria and Henry Esteves of the Breakfast with Santa Foundation. (L to R) George English, Recording Secretary, John Lediard, Trustee, Henry & Maria Esteves, Rene Lediard, Acting President, Nina Briddock, Sectretary Treasurer, Dave Linfoot, Trustee and Carmine Pietrangelo, Trustee.

CN Strike

Teamsters Union Local 938 President, Craig McInnes announced today that the Local is standing in unity with other brothers and sisterd across Canada at the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
“We are fighting for the safest workplace possible. We’ve lost nine of our members in various railway accidents over the past 24 months, including three from the group at CN that’s currently on strike,” said the president of the TCRC, Lyndon Isaac.

Ottawa's "Capital Crushers" Take Top Honours at Purolator Baseball Tourney

The 2019 Purolator “Tackle Hunger” Softball Tournament was a big success with 18 teams and 400 players from as far away as London and Ottawa participating. The event, in its fourth year, raises much needed funds for various food banks throughout the GTA. Pictured are the team from Ottawa celebrating their victory this year.

Variety Village Big Winner in Ontario Teamsters Golf Tourney

The Ontario Teamsters raised $140,000 for the children of Variety Village at the Ontario Teamsters Invitational on July 9th. Teamsters Local 938 President, Craig McInnes presents the cheque to the organization officials.

“The Catcher's Mitt of Packages”: Purolator Eyes U.S. Markets Amind $1 Billion Investment Rollout

Purolator is investing $1 billion into it's operations in Canada by building two new hubs in Toronto and introducing more green technology. Electric courier bikes, geotagging tracking on packages and 1,000 vehicles with smart technology are just some of the eco-friendly investments being made by Purolator Inc. as part of its $1-billion capital outlay announced Tuesday. 

“We’ve got everything from 24-hour parcel lockers to e-bikes for Toronto’s downtown core,” John Ferguson, Purolator president and CEO, told the Financial Post. “We’re working on a new fleet that will be more electric. So, we’ll be getting after not only that technology but it’s going to be good for the environment and sustainability.” 

Purolator has about 300 hybrid-electric vehicles and plans on adding more to the fleet by 2020. 

“It’s almost like our couriers are operating with more of a smartphone device,” Ferguson said. “They can take pictures of packages, it’ll take geotags so customers know where packages are at all times.”
However, the Mississauga-based courier company is not mulling delivery via drones like Amazon and Drone Canada but will be adding more hybrid vehicles such as electric cargo bikes to drop off packages and self-serve parcel lockers in downtown Toronto. 

“Delivering with drones is a really good idea but hard to make it economically viable with packages. It is expensive and requires more energy to fly something in the air,” Opher Baron, professor of operations management at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto told the Financial Post. “One possibility is when people’s cars are autonomous you can send the car to pick up the package and drop it off at home.”

Purolator to Invest $1 Billion to Open New Toronto Hub, Expand Its Delivery Fleet

Purolator Plans to Roll Out Its First Batch of Fully Electric Vehicles in 2020

Canada-based delivery and logistics firm Purolator Inc. said on Tuesday it plans to invest $1 billion to strengthen its footprint in its domestic market, looking to reach more customers and businesses and keep up in a hypercompetitive e-commerce space. 

The centrepiece of the 5-year investment plan is a $330 million (US$250 million), 60-acre national hub in Toronto which will open in 2021 and triple the courier’s capacity for package deliveries, allowing it to deal better with peak periods.
Purolator, which is largely owned by Canada Post, also said it expects to introduce more than 1,000 new vehicles with more advanced technology across the country in 2019 and 2020 to improve deliveries. 

It plans to roll out its first batch of fully electric vehicles in 2020 to complement an existing hybrid electric fleet, it said in the statement.

The Local 938 Offices for Two Days of Training and Updates

And They're Off…

105 members enjoyed a beautiful sunny day of golf on June 22nd. at the Teamsters Local 938 annual member’s golf tournament held at the Royal Ontario Golf Club in Oakville.
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The Passing of Brother Charlie Thibault, a Teamster Powerhouse!

Brother Charlie Thibault passed away earlier this week at 88 years old after experiencing a stroke. 

Brother Thibault was known for his dedication to Teamster members and to workers across Ontario. 

He began his career as a driver for Intercity Wilson Brothers and became a business agent for Teamsters Local Union 938 in 1967. He also served as a general organizer for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, where he helped hundreds of workers join a union. 

In 1970 he became president of his local. He continued rising the ranks, eventually becoming president of Joint Council 52 and international vice‑president. 

One of his biggest achievements was negotiating a master freight agreement for Ontario, a collective agreement which covered almost every single truck driver in the province. The agreement guaranteed solid middle-class wages and standardized protections and benefits for tens of thousands of drivers. 

Brother Thibault will be fondly remembered by the countless workers he helped over the course of his career, but most of all by his wife Audrey and son Derek.
Teamsters Local Union 938 would like to express its sincerest condolences to his friends, family, and loved ones at this time of sadness.

UPS to Build Largest Canadian Facility in Celadon

November 20, 2018
by Truck News
MISSISSAUGA, ON — UPS is going big.

Today, the company announced its plans of constructing a new $200 million, 850,000 sq.-ft. facility in Caledon, Ontario to service the Greater Toronto Area.
The new facility will be the largest in Canada, and will be fully automated according to UPS, sorting up to 35,000 packages per hour. The new facility will also be home to a fleet of more than 200 package cars, and is expected to open in late 2020. 

“Southern Ontario is an attractive hub for international trade and business,” says Christoph Atz, president of UPS Canada. “This new facility will serve the growing needs of businesses and consumers today and into the future.”
“I’m extremely pleased and proud to welcome the highly respected global logistics company United Parcel Service (UPS), to the Town of Caledon,” added Allan Thompson, Mayor of Caledon. “This development will create jobs, bolster our local economy and at 850,000 square feet, will be the largest UPS facility in Canada.” 

In March of this year, UPS announced its plans to invest more than $500 million towards facility expansions and technological enhancements in Canada. Construction of a $125-million, 180,000 sq. ft. expansion to the company’s Montreal hub, is almost complete. On November 2, the company unveiled its new, $15 million, 40,000 sq. ft., facility in Kanata, Ontario and has expanded its package centers in Brampton and London, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta.
© 2021 TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 938 - All rights reserved.
TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION 938
275 Matheson Blvd. East
Mississauga, ON
L4Z 1X8
Toll free: 1-800-263-9938
Phone: 905-502-0062
Fax: 905-502-0076
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