VANCOUVER, March 26 (Reuters) – Negotiators on Wednesday reached a deal to end the month-long container truck strike that has crippled operations at Canada’s largest port and slowed the transport of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods.
The new deal, brokered by the province, means that the more than 1,000 striking drivers will return to work at Port Metro Vancouver on Thursday morning.
“This agreement means the port is open again for business starting tomorrow morning,” said British Columbia premier Christy Clark at a press conference in Victoria, the provincial capital.
The deal came after provincial politicians spent a third day debating back-to-work legislation, which would have forced the drivers to return to their rigs. That legislation has now been withdrawn by the province.
“We have been clear from the very beginning that negotiation is the only way to achieve labor peace,” said Jerry Dias, national president for Unifor, which represents the union drivers. “We were not going to have a plan imposed on us.”
The new deal, based on a previous plan put forward by government and the port, was signed by Premier Clark, along with representatives of both the union and non-union drivers.
“This is an agreement that working truckers can be satisfied with,” said Paul Johal, president of the Unifor local, in a statement.
More than 1,000 non-union drivers walked off the job on Feb. 26 in protest over pay and services at Port Metro Vancouver. Their unionized colleagues voted to join the strike days later and have been on the picket line since Mar. 10.
The core issue in the month-long job action was long wait times at the city’s port facilities, which drivers say cut into their profits. They are paid by the haul and do not make money while waiting in line to load or unload cargo.
The drivers were also demanding higher rates and better regulation to stop rampant undercutting in the industry.
The strike paralyzed Port Metro Vancouver’s four container terminals, slowing the export of commodities like lumber, pulp products and specialty grains, and the import of consumer goods and construction materials.
The provincial and federal governments, along with the port, set out a 14-point action plan to end the strike in mid-March, but the proposal was rejected by the drivers. The revised plan was reached by all parties on Wednesday after a day of intense negotiations.
A provincially appointed mediator will now meet with the drivers and other participants to work through outstanding issues and start implementing reforms aimed at improving pay, wait times and creating more oversight in the industry. (Editing by Eric Walsh)
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least...
March 19 (Reuters) – Tanker company Euronav will exit Belgium’s blue-chip Bel-20 index after just two days of trading, as it no longer meets the membership conditions after its takeover by Compagnie Maritime...
MOSCOW, March 19 (Reuters) – The new head of Russia’s Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news agency reported,...
March 19, 2024
Total Views: 2483
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.