Federal government, CTA issue joint statement on vaccines, supply chain
The federal government and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) are committing to work together on long-term solutions to supply chain constraints and labor shortages, issuing a joint statement that also reinforces the role of vaccination.
The statement comes as convoys of protesters head to Ottawa for a weekend rally that will argue against a vaccine mandate that Canada applied to border-crossing truck drivers on Jan. 15. The U.S. version of the rules — the first to be announced — were imposed Jan. 22.
“The Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance both agree that vaccination, used in combination with preventative public health measures, is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of Covid-19 for Canadians, and to protect public health,” says the statement.
It was issued by Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough, and CTA president Stephen Laskowski.
The document recognizes “unprecedented challenges” in the trucking industry, and acknowledges that truckers have “delivered for Canadians” in spite of them. It also refers to how the government and CTA have worked with one another and other key partners to identify emerging issues and mitigate disruptions.
Long-term strategies are needed to reach real and lasting results to address supply chain constraints and labor challenges, it adds.
“Moving forward, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the industry at large will continue our shared dialogue on the challenges facing this sector. By working together, we are confident that we can find solutions that will help Canadians and industry alike.”
The CTA previously predicted that the vaccine requirements could lead to a loss of 12,000-16,000 cross-border drivers, based on existing vaccine rates. Trucking HR Canada has also reported that Canada’s broader truck transportation sector had an 8% job vacancy rate in the third quarter of 2021.
The alliance stressed in a separate statement that it does not support on-road protests.
“The Government of Canada and the United States have now made being vaccinated a requirement to cross the border. This regulation is not changing so, as an industry, we must adapt and comply with this mandate,” Laskowski said in that statement. “The only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.”
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Not delivery sorry
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I totally agree. Government has overstepped common sense
How do you guys sleep at night knowingly throwing your trade under the bus ? BAIL OUT money does not mean SELL OUT money. Show some character and support for the people that keep our grocery store shelves stocked, pharmacies well stocked with supplies, hardware stores full and YOU employed because of them your not reporting on Fraggle Rock return or worse yet collecting unemployment. Those are the people that give your publication a purpose and a reason to exist. Shamefully ungrateful lot you are.
Oh and by the way. Natural immunity is still better than vaccine as being told by the cdc
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You won’t die getting your vaccinations. But if you get COVID you may die, and the family members, friends and complete strangers you infect could end up on ventilators and die. Millions already have. Good luck in your hunt for your mythical natural immunity. Just don’t look for it in crowds of people who don’t want your sickness and disregard for their safety and health.
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Please get your vaccine info straight. Vaccinated people also get infected and spread the Covid flu to others. Vaccine only helps if you get sick so you don’t end up in hospital or die but you still spread
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Nobody cares what the CTA has to say, shut up!
CTA Does not represent the trucking industry.
CTA Does not represent drivers, owner ops or independents.
CTA needs to stand down they are irrelevant!!!
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Exactly right, just another group of morons who think they have a clue about trucking, I would like to know how many of them have ever driven, worked on,owned or had anything to do with a truck
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The CTA only looks to serve the best interests of the large carriers. They lobby to remove any advantage a small carrier or owner operator may have over a large company, hence the new E log requirement among other things. Unfortunately Main Stream Media has used the voice of the CTA synonymously as the voice of “Truckers” in reporting on the current Freedom Convoy. Nothing could be further from reality and I hope that becomes apparent as events unfold in the days ahead.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance is a registered lobby group. They contribute money to the Liberal Party. They do not represent the interests of independent truckers or Canadians at large.
The CTA and government have done nothing useful in the last 20+years, why would we think something will change without a push .
Its about FREEDOM OF THE LIVING LIFE. Why you are not telling the truth like every other FAKE NEWS who is lying almost every single day since 2020?? I know the taste of Connunism,I’ve been there 35 years ago..
Typical response. You can’t even get proper news on this as the Liberal Media sequesters the information that rides against the Govt and the Vax mandate. It is unfortunate what this country has become under this current Gov’t and how organizations like yourself do not stand up for what is right. The people have lost a right of choice, free will and freedom of speech. The govt chastises anyone who makes noise against them, threatens jobs and take Doctors Licenses to practice away when our health care system is at its worst.
The Nonsense from the CTA and the Canadian Liberal Government shows their ” Hand in Glove” position. This doesn’t speak well for our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Dumb asses.
Well Laskowski , WE say NO! The CTA is a lap dog of the liberal party so no surprise he tows the line of BS.
When will you admit that the vaccines do nothing to stop Covid? People still get and transmit Covid after vaccinations. This is a control issue and so distressing that the trucking association is not backing drivers. People are waking up to the fact that the narrative is false. They perhaps thought that their strategy would work but now it’s evident that it hasn’t worked and it won’t going forward either.
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You hit it on the button. We are being lied to to continually.
Politicians, media, health big shots all need to be held responsible for what they
they are doing to this country. It is about time we take a stand against what is going on. Thanks you truckers.
Very well said!!
Don’t comply. Lies, lies, lies. I lost my driving job plowing snow because of this Covid crap, what goes around comes around, 10-4, I support the convoy, Pat King is a trucker hero, thanks to all truckers.
Republican governor signs ‘MEDICAL FREEDOM’ law preventing COVID-19 vaccine mandates (July 2021)
New Hampshire residents will not be forced to receive a coronavirus vaccination despite other states and businesses requiring one.
The Governor believes in vaccination and has all three shots himself, but he believes in leading by EXAMPLE, not by coercion & threats.
“Every person has the natural, essential, and inherent right to bodily integrity, free from any threat or compulsion by the government to accept an immunization,” according to a new bill that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law this week. (July 28, 2021.)
https://news.yahoo.com/republican-governor-signs-medical-freedom-215100804.html?guccounter=1
For the last 30 months 6 mo before covid came a number of issues that affected drivers and lease or owners ops with their own authority
The fed gov or the ont gov or the CT A did very little and in some cases making worse
This led in my opinion to record # of people leaving the cross border transport industry
In certain U S markets in the last 2 years wages have become 40 % more than drivers in Canada . I have over 120 calls I. The last 28 hours from shipping to certain large D C centers to people in the Toronto Food industry about a way to end this and what drivers and owners of small trucking companies to solve this
I got at at 1400 hrs today from a smaller truck stop telling me that his supplier would be willing to deliver fuel for the next 7 days because of who sold fuel to. This protest is not just about vaccines but the gov using their unlimited power against working people in my opinion.