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

Here’s the list of Local 776 meetings and events for 2025. The dates are also on the “Events Calendar” on the home page. Members who are registered users of the website get an Email alert before the event as a reminder. Not a registered user of the website? Sign up today in the “Member Login” box in the left column!