FREDERICTON, N.B. — A New Brunswick judge has granted an injunction against 11 gravel truck operators who are protesting low rates for hauling for construction of the Fredericton-Moncton highway.

The injunction orders the protesters from blocking the highway near a quarry in Cumberland Bay.

But the truckers remain resolved to keep up the fight.

The injunction was applied for Friday by a group of subcontractors, who are working for the Maritime Road Development Corp., the company building the highway under contract from the provincial government.

In their submission to the court, Brent Melanson, counsel for the subcontractors, alleged the truckers, who have staged protests in the last few weeks, have taken illegal actions.

Doras Stennick is the president of the Southern N.B. Trucking Association and was one of the individuals named on the injunction.

“We’ll continue on with our vigil peacefully without breaking the law,” Stennick explains.

“We want the public to stand with us because it’s really a case of David and Goliath.”

The aggregate haulers are angry that they are not paid wages equal to the provincial rate. They argue that since the contract is to construct provincial infrastructure, they should be paid the government’s rate instead
of the lower, open market rate.

The group wants the higher fixed government rate of pay because it is a government-funded project.

The truckers have argued the lower rate given by the MRDC subcontractors is not enough to pay for maintenance of their trucks and rising fuel costs.

The subcontractors however say their contract doesn’t allow them to pay out the higher wages.

The injunction was granted Monday.

Other legal action against the truckers is in the works.