12 May 2004 Maintenance of Way Employees Now Members of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference The situation that prevailed was not in the best interests of maintenance of way employees.   Teamsters Canada wishes to inform the media and the population that the bargaining rights retained by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) in Canada have been transferred to Teamsters Canada according to Section 43 of the Canada Labour Code.   Indeed, the BMWE Canadian members have expressed their wish to join Teamsters Canada Rail Conference - Maintenance of Way Employees Division (TCRC - MWED), in spite of repeated attempts by the United Steelworkers of America (Steelworkers) to delay the certification process concerning TCRC-MWED's applications filed in 2003. Because of the Steelworkers' actions, negotiations for the renewal of the maintenance of way employees' collective agreement still remain in a deadlock.   The situation that has been dragging on because of the Steelworkers' interference did not serve the Canadian rail workers' best interests.   A transition committee lead by Teamsters Canada representatives is currently in place. During this transition period, the actual union structure will be maintained. Furthermore, union dues paid by maintenance of way employees will remain in Canada and there will be no dues increase. It will be up to this transition committee to decide, if eventually, changes should be made regarding union representatives.   If everything goes as planned and without legal impediment, very soon, Teamsters Canada could be welcoming more than 6,000 new members, in addition to the 7,000 or so locomotive engineers, train conductors and rail traffic controllers who are already TCRC members, for a total of 13,000 members.   Teamsters Canada would like to thank all Canadian local unions, organizers and representatives, for their support throughout this campaign. We could not have achieved our goal without collective efforts.   Over the last few months, we have witnessed the Teamsters' collective ability to stand united in the pursuit of strategic goals and our success is merely the result of everybody's hard work during the entire campaign. Teamsters Canada's and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference's officers would like to sincerely thank everybody for their precious collaboration.   In conclusion, it is to be noted that, during the last few months, more than 800 grievances by maintenance of way employees have not been processed and union representation was almost nonexistent. Teamsters Canada Rail Conference - Maintenance of Way Employees Division intends to rectify this situation as quickly as possible.   Maintenance of way employees will be provided with regular updates as the situation unfolds.   Teamsters Canada is a labour organization now representing close to 115,000 members in Canada alone. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which we are affiliated with, represents 1.5 million members across North America. Visit our website at www.teamsters-canada.org   Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (formerly, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) represents employees at Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, VIA Rail Canada, and several other local railway companies in Canada. Our organization now represents more than 13,000 members in Canada alone.