B.C. log haulers gear up for strike at midnight
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. (Feb. 18, 2005) — A group of B.C. Interior owner-operators and their union partner are threatening to shut down their trucks tonight despite pleas from area logging contractors.
The log haulers from the Prince George Trucking Association and the United Steelworkers-IWA say they plan to walk of the job at midnight if Canfor Corp. — Prince George’s largest lumber producer — doesn’t bargain directly over trucking rates, fuel surcharges, and operational issues such as turnaround times and working conditions.
The owner-ops, who mounted a large protest last week, argue rates have not kept up with rising costs, the Prince George Citizen reports.
However, loggers contracted to Canfor are asking the truckers not to strike yet, saying such action will hamper ongoing talks between Canfor and the contractors. The lumber company has set March 2 as the target for reaching a deal, which would be retroactive to Feb. 1.
Canfor reiterated its initial position that it won’t bargain with the Prince George Trucking Association and the Steelworkers-IWA.
— from the Prince George Citizen
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