Andy Braden first became a Teamster in February 1980 when he was hired by Alpha Milk Company as a Maintenance Person. During his employment with Alpha Milk Andy obtained a Building Operators “B” Ticket in 1982, he qualified as a Fourth (4th ) Year Power Engineer in 1984 and in 1988 he received his Interprovincial Refrigeration Mechanics Certification. Andy’s fellow employees soon realized his strong ability to lead and elected him as Shop Steward in 1995. While representing the Union members at Alpha Milk, Andy was involved in negotiating two Collective Agreements between the Teamsters and Saputo Foods. The eleven years experience as a Shop Steward was a stepping stone for Andy when Teamsters Local Union 987 hired him as a Business Agent for the Local in 2006. Andy believes that fair and equal representation for all the members of Teamsters Local Union 987 is of utmost importance. He is committed to the growth of the Union and attends courses and seminars that will assist him in his quest. The most recent seminar he attended was the Teamsters Leadership Academy for Business Agents in April 2008.