The Local 776 Retirees Club meets on January 15, 2025. Marianne Dobbins is the guest speaker for the January Retiree Group meeting. She is a licensed independent broker who helps seniors navigate the waters of Medicare. Marianne's goal is to help people understand the best options provided by understanding Medicare.

Additionally, the Retiree Group has undertaken its Membership campaign. Everyone should be receiving a letter in the mail.

The Retirees Club is for all Local 430 and Local 776 Retirees. Come on out; the meeting starts at 10:00 AM at the Camp Hill Union Hall.

Robert "Bob" Zimmerman retired in December after working for Juniata County at the 911 Center. Bob started as a correctional officer/dispatcher at the Juniata County Jail as the COs handled both jobs. When the jobs were separated in 2000, he moved to the new 911 dispatch center. While working for Juniata County, he was a long-time Local 776 Union Steward.

Bob and his wife Heather have two sons, a daughter, and three grandchildren who will be vying for additional attention now that he's retired. Both attending dirt track races and deer hunting should get more attention with his retirement. While Heather is still working, Bob is doing some home remodeling and trying to keep his "Honey Do" list manageable!

Looking back, Bob commented: "I enjoyed working with the Union and the Business Agents. At first, my BA was Kevin, and then I had a second-generation BA with his son Mark!"

From everyone at Local 776, congratulations on your retirement, Bob. Enjoy it!

Local 776 Business Agent Mark Cicak (R) memorializes Bob's retirement with a Teamsters watch!

Ralph Speece retired from Hershey Medical Center after amassing 40 years of Teamster membership. Ralph started his career at HMC in the kitchen, working up to a cook's position. Looking for a change, he transferred to medical supplies/ materials, where he worked as a group leader in the various store rooms.

Ralph served as a Union Steward for 25 years. He was involved in the negotiation of five contracts. After 25 years, he resigned as a Steward, leaving that position to some younger Members!

Ralph and his wife Jill plan on traveling as he eases into retirement. They also enjoy going to the beach. With the free time, Ralph is looking forward to playing golf again. During his time at HMC, the foursome he played on won the Local 776 golf tournament!

Looking back on his time with Local 776, Ralph remarked: "I had a good career at Hershey. I enjoyed my time with the Union working on the contracts. I learned a lot about the process and had the respect of the Members."

Congratulations on your retirement, Ralph. Enjoy it. We might see you at the golf tournament in August!

Ralph displays his Teamsters Retirement Watch!

The application process for scholarships from the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is now open.  The deadline for application completion is March 1, 2025.  Academic scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 and Vocational/Training program scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 are available to High School seniors who are the sons/daughters/financial dependents of Teamster members (including members of the BLET, BMWED, TCRC, TCRC-BMW).  In 2024, the Fund awarded $1.2 million in scholarships to Teamster children across the U.S. and Canada.

Direct Link to Apply: https://aim.applyists.net/JRHMSF/

Program Key: JRHMSF

James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund

www.jrhmsf.org