Vancouver Port Work Stoppage Could Hamper Operations, Official Warns
A work stoppage among truckers at Port Metro Vancouver could soon hamper operations at the facility, a port official said.
Between 1,200 and 1,300 nonunion truck drivers have refused to work starting Feb. 26, citing long wait times and low rates, reported the Province, a British Columbia newspaper. About 400 unionized truckers also are threatening to strike if carriers serving the port do not bring in a mediator.
Peter Xotta, vice president of operations and planning at Port Metro Vancouver, told the Province on Feb. 26 that the stoppage could have a “very serious impact” on the port in a short period of time because trucking represents about half of the operations at the port.
As of the afternoon Feb. 26, Xotta reported seeing “very little truck activity.”
Truckers stopped work at Port Metro Vancouver for 47 days in 2005, which cost the area’s economy about C$400 million, the Province said.
Xotta also said it’s unlikely that wait times will be reduced in the short term.
