Protesting owner-operators in Vancouver to vote on new wage proposal today

VANCOUVER (Aug. 6, 1999) — Owner-operators who haul containers in and out of the port of Vancouver are scheduled to vote today on a new payment offer from the trucking companies they work for.

The owner-operators withdrew their services two weeks ago to protest loading delays and congestion at the port. The new offer, put forth by 19 carriers, would raise standard return trip rates by $50 but does not include the hourly wage truckers had been seeking. The owner-operators reportedly had asked for $53 an hour. The flat fee per round trip ranges between $123 and $360.

The carriers also said they would meet with Vancouver port officials to obtain a “congestion premium” of $15 per half hour wait in excess of two hours.

“The trucking companies have been working very hard to try to bring this dispute to an end an get the container traffic moving again,” said Victor Leginsky, a lawyer who represents the trucking companies. “The trucking companies feel this is a fair way to get the trucks back on the road and give all parties a chance to deal with the real issue: congestion at the Port of Vancouver.”

Officials with the port authority and several shipping companies estimated they have lost more than $43 million since the labor dispute began. They said ships are beginning to divert to Seattle, Tacoma and Los Angeles.

Vancouver handled more than 840,000 container equivalent units last year and has seen a 44% increase in container traffic so far in 1999.