If you were involved in the Pierce County labor movement, odds are you knew Al Brebner. A dedicated Teamster and Planning Commissioner, Al beamed with enthusiasm. 

Harold Moss, former Tacoma mayor and councilman, former Pierce County councilman, pays tribute to his good friend Al:

Al was the most focused, brightest, committed working stiff, as he called himself, you could want to meet. He put his whole heart and effort in the things he believed made a difference for the average working man or woman. He would get out the troops, mostly Teamsters, to carry picket signs on strike lines, wave political signs on corners, pound yard signs for candidates all over Pierce County. And he would do this rain or shine, and day and night.

He would start a sentence with "I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but...." and then proceed to give his analysis of a problem in his clear and un-complicated way.

A couple of Saturdays ago, Breb (as most referred to him) was smiling and excited as over 40 volunteers showed up on a Saturday morning to go doorbell for Dave Lovell, a fellow Teamster running for Port Commissioner. That was the last time many of us saw him. A few days later, Al Brebner had a massive heart attack that a week later ultimately claimed his life. Likely cause of death: the Tacoma News Tribune endorsed Dave's big business-backed opponent in the paper.

Brebner was spending all his free time helping to get Lovell (and City Council Candidate Harold Moss) elected. He had retrofitted his old truck with a massive "Teamsters for Lovell" signs and drove around the county putting up yard signs.

After the TNT offered up its typical pro-business endorsement, Breb fired off the following emails. Undeterred he wrote:

Just got back from Westport. Sutich was on my answering machine telling me I was right about what the tnt endorsement would look like and who they would endorse. It makes follow ups at the phone banking more important It's amazing that they [the tnt] don't recognize Dave's 25 years of volunteer work for united way or his military service commendations [ Bronze Star with Oak Clusters and they didn't just give that away] Everybody has just got to suck it up and get Dave through the Primary and then we can address these issues. Sending E-Mails to everyone in your computer address book asking them to vote for Dave and asking them to do the same is an excellent way to turn out the vote. I sure hope EVERYONE is willing to help out.

Breb

And

The ballots are coming out Aug 3rd. Organized labor has a real chance to gain a seat on the Port Commission which would be great news for all of us. DAVE LOVELL is running for POS 3.He HAS BEEN ENDORSED by POLICE, FIRE, TEAMSTERS, LONGSHORE, BLET, CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL and every other Labor group connected to the Port. The tnt and the Pierce Co. Chamber of Commerce do Not want organized labor to have an equal say on the actions of the port. They want to be dictator. We can beat these guys if we get our people to vote for DAVE LOVELL in the primary . Al Brebner

Several have recalled that Breb's parting conversation with them involved him urging them to do whatever they can to get Lovell elected. He was signed up to participate in our phonebanks for Lovell, but sadly his time was cut short. Labor lost one of its leaders and greatest cheerleaders this week.