Laval, March 30, 2016 — The death of Jean Lapierre and of several members of his family in a plane crash sent shockwaves through the ranks of Teamsters Canada yesterday. A former politician, Mr. Lapierre was a popular radio and television broadcaster and influential political commentator in Quebec.
Bad weather appears to have caused the small plane to crash.
Several leaders of Teamsters Canada worked closely with Mr. Lapierre in 2004, when he was federal Transport Minister.
“Driving hours in the trucking industry was one of the issues on which we worked with Minister Lapierre,” recalls François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada. “I remember Mr. Lapierre as man who listened carefully to all opinions. This is what made him a great politician.”
At the time, Teamsters Canada asked the Minister to withdraw a proposal that would have increased driving time to 18 consecutive hours a day. The union finally convinced the Minister to drop the proposal in order to protect the safety of all Canadians on the road.
The President of Teamsters Canada offers his deepest condolences to Mr. Lapierre’s family, friends and colleagues.
Teamsters Canada represents 120,000 members in Canada in all industries. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.
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Stéphane Lacroix, Director of Public Relations
Cell : 514 609-5101
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