British Columbia Federation of Labour

In a summer full of blockbuster sequels at local movie theatres, there is sequel of a different sort coming soon to Vancouver ports. It's a big-budget production (hundreds of millions are involved), the actors are well-known, there's a cast of thousands and the plot is all too familiar. But the good news for British Columbians --- the ending hasn't been written yet.

The first flick had no high-speed chase scenes or crashes, but the impact was even more dramatic when, two years ago, a thousand port truckers parked their rigs, brought cargo at Vancouver ports to a standstill, and demanded the right to make a decent living.

Truckers were forced to put up picket lines to demand governments, port authorities and trucking companies grapple with their rising fuel costs, inefficient operations that led to long delays, and constant company undercutting that was driving down real income for the mostly owner-operators servicing the ports. After more than a month long work stoppage, with the assistance of Mediator Vince Ready, an agreement was reached. The Ready Agreement set payment rates, provided fuel subsidies and established other working conditions.

But the truckers only returned to work after the Vancouver Port Authority and the federal government agreed to implement a licensing system that required all owner/operators to adhere to the Ready Agreement. Truckers had learned from hard experience in 1999 that simply setting the rates and conditions, without enforcement, would not stop undercutting. In fact, the opposite happened.

Did the situation improve? Yes. Has it been perfect? No. Did the undercutting stop? No. Like any Agreement, or law, this deal is only as good as its enforcement and truckers know enforcement has been very poor. This was confirmed recently by the Vancouver Port Authority, when a spokesperson stated, "I think it's fair to say follow-up to rate cutting allegations have been slow and sporadic at best."

To make matters worse the increased pay rates secured by the truckers led to an influx of more trucks into an already over-supplied situation.

This year, the Port Authority banned owner/operators from acquiring more licenses but allowed trucking companies to add to their fleet. Growing faster than port traffic, more trucks chasing cargo, has renewed the same undercutting that led to the problem in the first place. A joint federal/provincial government task force concluded that "the best number (of trucks) is probably significantly less than the present compliment." Hundreds more have arrived since those words were written.

With all of these problems and the Agreement set to expire it should be no surprise that on July 7, 2007 more than 600 port truckers mounted a protest convoy to send a clear message that they want this fixed and are tired of losing ground after every new Agreement they forge. Their message to the government and to British Columbians who depend upon the port is simple. Port truckers have solutions that not only maintain their rights to earn a reliable and stable paycheque, but also improve the reliability and stability of the port.

Truckers are asking the federal government to extend the Ready Agreement, to implement real enforcement that will stop the undercutting and to extend the moratorium on new trucks to everyone, not just owner/operators.

Any objective observer would see these proposals as fair. Truckers aren't asking for more money, they just want what they were promised two years ago to be properly enforced. But if their demands are modest, no one should presume that their resolve is the same. Truckers are not willing to go backwards yet again.

During the 2005 dispute, BC's economy lost more than half a billion dollars while the port was idle. No one wants to see that happen again. The federal government and the Port Authority it owns and regulates need to act quickly, implement these solutions and ensure that this summer's sequel has a happy ending. A finale where governments listen, labour unrest is avoided and economic stability for truckers and British Columbians wins the day.

Now that would get rave reviews.