The spectre of another crippling strike at Port Metro Vancouver is being raised by angry container truckers, reported Vancouver Province.
They claim that rates negotiated after a bitter, five-week strike in 2005 are being undercut.
"We' re in bargaining right now with 12 different companies," said Gavin McGarrigle national representative for CAW, the Canadian Auto Workers union.
"We're getting to the point where a strike option is definitely a possibility and we haven't ruled that out yet."
About 400 disgruntled truckers drove in a protest convoy that tied up traffic on Saturday.
McGarrigle said they want to sit down with port officials and with both the BC and federal governments. "We don't want to be perpetually at war with the port and continually fighting to maintain our rates," he added.
McGarrigle said minimum rates negotiated in the settlement of the 2005 strike called for truckers to be paid from US$100 to $135 per container, per move, in each direction.
"We've had many reports of people being paid $80, $70, $60 or $50 per move," he said.
McGarrigle said the CAW wrote to port president Robin Silvester and he offered to continue meeting.
But he said the union has had no response to its calls for meetings with Stockwell Day, federal minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, BC Labour Minister Iain Black and Shirley Bond, BC Transportation Minister.
No one could be reached from Port Metro Vancouver.
They claim that rates negotiated after a bitter, five-week strike in 2005 are being undercut.
"We' re in bargaining right now with 12 different companies," said Gavin McGarrigle national representative for CAW, the Canadian Auto Workers union.
"We're getting to the point where a strike option is definitely a possibility and we haven't ruled that out yet."
About 400 disgruntled truckers drove in a protest convoy that tied up traffic on Saturday.
McGarrigle said they want to sit down with port officials and with both the BC and federal governments. "We don't want to be perpetually at war with the port and continually fighting to maintain our rates," he added.
McGarrigle said minimum rates negotiated in the settlement of the 2005 strike called for truckers to be paid from US$100 to $135 per container, per move, in each direction.
"We've had many reports of people being paid $80, $70, $60 or $50 per move," he said.
McGarrigle said the CAW wrote to port president Robin Silvester and he offered to continue meeting.
But he said the union has had no response to its calls for meetings with Stockwell Day, federal minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, BC Labour Minister Iain Black and Shirley Bond, BC Transportation Minister.
No one could be reached from Port Metro Vancouver.