Several container trucking companies launch legal fight against fair wages

VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - A minority of Vancouver container trucking companies have filed suit to avoid paying thousands of dollars of retroactive pay owing to drivers in the sector. The largest union in the sector says that the suit has no merit, and that the companies are seeking an outcome that would threaten stability at Port Metro Vancouver.

The following companies have dragged the Container Trucking Commissioner and the BC government into court to keep wages down:

• Aheer Transportation
• Bestlink Transport
• Burton Delivery Service
• Gantry Trucking
• Gur-ish Trucking
• Indian River Transport
• Roadstar Transport
• Sunlover Holding
• Triangle Transportation, and
• T S D Holding Inc.

Unifor is urging port trucking customers to do business with companies that accept the new minimum rates established by the government. Responsible shippers can and should choose from among the dozens of port trucking companies who are prepared to pay and prepared to live with the fair rates in the new legislation.

"Last month at the bargaining table we achieved long-term labour peace at the port, but these companies would rather drag us back into a bitter fight over wages," said Jerry Dias, Unifor's National President. "There is a wage floor that applies equally to all companies, but this lawsuit seeks to take money out of truckers' pockets. It's pure greed."

Container truckers shut down Port Metro Vancouver for nearly four weeks in March 2014 as a result of wage undercutting by trucking companies and long wait times at the Port. Truckers went back to work after a plan was signed with the truckers, the Port, the BC government, and the federal government.

Unifor says that fighting the wage floor is bad for stability in the Port and is an affront to the vast majority of port trucking companies who have paid the fair wage and are prepared to live with it.

"Undercutting in this sector has always been a problem and now we see clearly which truck company owners want to continue to drive wages down. Shippers now need to play their part toward stability by refusing to do business with these companies who refuse to treat their drivers fairly," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's BC Area Director. "The provincial government needs to mount a vigorous defense of its own legislation to make sure that truckers receive the full payment of all wages owed."

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 310,000 workers. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged.

SOURCE Unifor

Unifor Communications Representative Ian Boyko at 778-903-6549 (cell) or [email protected]