Truckers threaten another port strike
Drivers say increased rates promised in March are not being paid
Truckers are threatening to withdraw services from Port Metro Vancouver “almost overnight” if they are not granted pay rate hikes promised in a fragile agreement hammered out earlier this year.
The agreement ended a 28- day labour dispute in March that left hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cargo stranded.
“It is getting to the boiling point once again with the drivers and if something serious isn’t done soon, we could see another dispute erupt almost overnight,” Gavin McGarrigle, B. C. director for Unifor, the union representing roughly a quarter of truckers delivering to the port, said Friday.
He said the other truckers, most of them independent, are equally frustrated and ready to shut down if necessary.
The federal and provincial transport ministers issued a statement Friday saying they remain “very concerned” increased rates promised in a joint action plan March 26 that ended the strike are not being paid consistently to drivers. The governments warned they “will not hesitate to take action.”
“There is a concerted effort on the part of a number of truck companies who think they don’t have to get with the program and contribute toward stability and just have a wild West mentality that they have got away with for so many years,” McGarrigle said.
“A lot of the companies out there — not all of them — are basically thumbing their noses at both levels of government and simply saying, ‘ We’re not going to pay the drivers the increased rates that were put out in the action plan,’ ” he added.
He noted that because the truckers are still in a legal strike position, they would not have to give 72 hours’ notice of a strike.
Veteran labour mediator Vince Ready is being kept on the job for
It is getting to the boiling point once again with the drivers.
GAVIN McGARRIGLE
B. C. DIRECTOR, UNIFOR
an additional 90 days to smooth the waters.
To address the truckers’ concerns, a provincial audit program is being strengthened and targeted investigations are underway, the joint government news release said.
The truckers are also concerned about waiting times at the port although McGarrigle said this has been alleviated to some extent by an initial payment of $ 214,000 to be distributed to drivers with about 10 companies, adding that is just the first instalment and there is much more to be paid out.
To help solve this problem, port marine terminals are extending their hours and a container truck GPS installation project aimed at reducing congestion and waiting times at the port is near completion, the government news release said.
Several trucking companies have legally challenged portions of the joint action plan on a number of fronts, including the argument that they are protected by collective agreements stipulating lower rates of pay. Others have taken issue with fees charged by Port Metro Vancouver for truck waiting times.
McGarrigle said the only reason truckers have not walked out is that governments appear to be trying to take action to forestall a repeat shutdown of Canada’s busiest port and a critical part of the Asia- Pacific gateway.
But he isn’t completely satisfied with these actions.
“Our members are frustrated and rightfully so. They have received a promise from both levels of government and to date that hasn’t been a- hundred- per- cent realized.”
He said the trucking companies that are complying with the higher rates are worried about losing customers to companies that aren’t complying and are under- cutting them.
“Some of these ruthless operators quite frankly need to be banned from the industry and that’s the kind of action we want to see from both levels of government. We want to see licences pulled and these people kicked right out of the industry as a message to the rest of the industry that the days of game- playing are over.”
If this type of aggressive action isn’t taken, “ourselves and the UTA ( United Truckers Association, which represents about 1,000 independent truckers) will take action again to withdraw our labour, no question about it,” said McGarrigle.
“It is certainly getting close to the boiling point.”
Spokesmen for Port Metro Vancouver, the B. C. Truckers Association, the United Truckers Association and the federal and provincial governments could not be reached for comment.