Hundreds of truckers from across the Lower Mainland participated in a work stoppage and protest today to demand action on issues ranging from waiting times to pay-rate enforcement.
On Wednesday morning, a large crowd of truckers gathered at the truck pullout on Highway 91 between Highway 10 and 64 Avenue.
According to B.C.’s largest union representing container truckers, if governments and the Port Authority don’t develop firm commitments to begin addressing the truckers’ concerns, the work stoppage could escalate.
Photo: Boaz Joseph / The Leader
“We’ve seen this story before, too many times. Truckers shut down the Vancouver ports in 1999 and 2005 because government and the ports wouldn’t listen,” said Paul Johal, president of Unifor-Vancouver Container Truckers’ Association (VCTA). “Container truckers are tired of lip-service and demand real changes and real solutions.”
Unifor and other associations have been in discussions with the Port Authority for months to raise concerns that long wait times at the Port of Vancouver are costing truck drivers money. The truckers are also demanding a standardized and enforced rate of pay that covers all drivers at the ports.
