DATE: March 17th, 2020
RE: COVID-19 MEMBER UPDATE
Dear Teamster Sisters and Brothers,
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has labeled a recent coronavirus – “COVID-19” as a “global pandemic”. Teamsters 855 Executive Board believe we can support our public health authorities to make this pandemic more manageable by “flattening the curve” and gaining control of the spread of this virus in our province and country.
Health and Safety are our #1 priority and it is critical that we ensure the safe working conditions for our members and staff to adequately perform work duties and responsibilities, while limiting exposure to this highly contagious virus. Effective as of March 16th, Teamsters 855 will be taking the following precautions and measures:
- Teamster 855 Office (70 Mews Pl) will be CLOSED FOR VISITATION from Members and the general public. As recommended by the Government of Canada Guidelines, our staff will practice “social distancing” and have access to the office with limited and staggered scheduling until at least March 30th
- Staff members will be WORKING REMOTELY as much as possible.
- Administrative staff will be able to provide service more quickly via email. With limited access to office telephones, they will still receive your message however response may be delayed, but will be monitored on a daily basis
- President/Business Manager, Business Agents, and Organizer will be available to address your workplace issues during regular business hours via both cell phone and email
- President/Business Manager: Richard Gill, rgill@teamstersL855.com, 709-682-0012
- Administration: Trish Knight, email@teamstersL855.com, 709-579-5706 Ext 201
- Administration: Connie Fewer, cfewer@teamstersL855.com, 709-579-5706 Ext 202
- Business Agent: Keith Hollahan, khollahan@teamstersL855.com, 709-727-4445
- Business Agent: Roger Spracklin, rspracklin@teamstersL855.com, 709325-0167
- Business Agent: Hubert Dawe, hdawe@teamstersL855.com, 709-727-0610
- Organizer: Richard Parkes, rparkes@teamstersL855.com, 709-424-9584
Since we are in the early stage of this pandemic, we strongly advise members to visit our website for news and updates:
- News: https://teamsters855.ca/news-events/
- In the event of a General Membership Meeting cancellation or postponement please refer to our Event Calendar https://teamsters855.ca/event-directory/
- To request a copy of your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or Grievance Form visit the Member Forms section https://teamsters855.ca/members/member-forms/
- If you are laid off due to a workplace closure or mass layoff for an extended period of time, then you may need to apply for a “Withdrawal Card” https://teamsters855.ca/members/withdrawal-cards-faq/
For further COVID-19 information, we encourage you to visit the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador website: https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/ and the Public Health Agency of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
Teamsters 855 feel confident we can all work through this together and still provide quality representation and service for our membership. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time, and now we must all play our role to keep our family, friends and communities healthy and safe.
In Solidarity,
Richard Gill
President / Business Manager
Teamsters Union Local 855