Teamsters Canada and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters conducted and intensive two-day lobby on Parliament Hill. Brother Mike Mathis, Government Relations IBT, and Brother Bill Black, Legislative Director Michigan Joint Council #43, joined Brother George Hucker, Governmental Affairs Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, and Phil Benson, Lobbyist Teamsters Canada, met with Government Leaders, Opposition Critics and Department of Transportation officials to discuss issues that touch on our members on both sides of the border.
Two issues took center stage. The first is the need for cross-border infrastructure, and our focus is the Detroit River Tunnel Project. The “Jobs Tunnel” is ready to be built with features that meet the needs of the transportation industry and the public. The DRTP is the only project on the board that would diversify the options for truckers traveling cross-border while meeting important security concerns. The second involved our proposals to speed up the process for transportation workers as they cross the border.
We look forward to continuing this dialogue in Washington later in the year.