Click here to read the letter of support to the MP sponsoring the bill, Mr Kerry Diotte.

Teamsters Canada and Teamsters Local Union 362 have come out in support of Bill C-243, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review).

Approximately 2,500 of our 135,000 members are armoured car guards. Every day, these workers move cash safely through our economy, servicing banks, ATMs, and businesses of all sizes. They perform essential work. But they are also targets for violent criminals.

On June 15, 2012, three armoured car guards and members of our union were murdered at the University of Alberta HUB Mall. Their names were Brian Ilesic, Edgardo “Eddie” Rejano, and Michelle Shegelski. A fourth guard, Matthew Schuman, survived with devastating, life-altering brain injuries.

They were shot from behind. The murderer stole a bag of cash and fled before being arrested the next day. He later received a life sentence.

Under the current system, once the murderer becomes eligible for parole, the victims’ families and the surviving victim will be forced to relive the worst day of their lives again and again through repeated parole applications.

The approach of that milestone has also created apprehension among our membership. For some, it reopens grief and trauma; for others, it adds another layer of anxiety to an already high-risk job. Our members should not have to carry that burden year after year as the price of earning a living.

We believe Bill C-243 addresses this ongoing harm in a targeted, reasonable way. It does not eliminate parole or remove the Parole Board’s ability to assess risk. Instead, it would ensure that, once the Parole Board denies parole to a murderer, future reviews occur on the statutory 5-year schedule, rather than being driven by a murderer’s repeated applications.

Bill C-243 is a measure of basic human decency and should not be considered a partisan issue. Accountability for the most serious crimes must include consideration for the long-term impacts on victims and the workers who face these risks every day.

The Teamsters urge all federal MPs to support Bill C-243.

Teamsters Canada represents 130,000 workers across the country.

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Media requests:

Christopher Monette
Director of Public Affairs
Teamsters Canada
Cell. : 514-226-6002
[email protected]