Vancouver—A mass meeting of truck drivers servicing Port Metro Vancouver unanimously resolved to begin protests if negotiations about the BC government’s proposed wage cuts don’t result in a fair solution. After several meetings last week aimed at defusing the tense situation, truck drivers are cautiously optimistic that a solution can be found at the bargaining table.

Truckers say that the deal negotiated in March 2014 is not being respected.

“A deal is a deal. We want to settle this dispute with a negotiated solution, but we don’t have endless patience,” said Gavin McGarrigle, BC Area Director for Unifor.

Container truckers shut down Port Metro Vancouver for nearly four weeks in March 2014 as a result of undercutting by trucking companies and long wait times at the Port.

Truckers went back to work after a Joint Action Plan was signed with the union, the Port, the BC government, and the federal government. But proposals for pay cuts tabled on December 15 by the BC government threaten to undo the agreement that has kept the Port open since April.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.



