Port Vancouver CEO calls for facilitator in truck dispute

The following article is excerpted from the 28 June 2005 edition of “Canadian Transportation & Logistics”.

Vancouver Port Authority President and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Gordon Houston, is calling on both sides of a trucking dispute to move quickly to resolve the issue with a facilitator.

About 1,000 drivers belonging to the Vancouver Container Truck Association walked off the job on Saturday after failing to come to an agreement on compensation with the shipping companies that employ them, immobilizing between 30 and 40 per cent of the containerized cargo that normally moves through the port.

The port is calling for the immediate appointment of a facilitator to resolve this dispute, either by mutual consent of the parties involved, or directly by government, Houston said. The container sector is responsible for about $2.8 billion in total annual economic activity for our region and country. The estimated loss in economic activity in just one week is estimated at approximately $30 million.

The majority of containers moved by truck are those destined to or from British Columbia, so the impact on the provincial and regional economy is expected to be the most significant. …

The first to feel the impact will likely be local exporters of food and forest products, who rely on the container trucks to get their goods to the port. Other containerized exports that will be affected include specialty grains, such as peas, lentils and beans, and fresh and frozen pork. On the import side, industrial products, such as machine and auto parts, and consumer products including furniture, clothing and electronics that are destined for the British Columbia market will be impacted.

The Retail Council of Canada, meanwhile, is asking the federal Transport Minister to take whatever steps may be necessary to resolve the dispute, reports the Financial Post….

Manufacturers who rely on imported components as well as some exporters are expected to feel the pinch, according to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association….

Container truck drivers say they have been hit hard by rising fuel costs with some claiming they bring home about $50 a day after expenses.