Port trucker strike averted

VANCOUVER — A coastal drayage company with 120 independent container haulers and their union representatives reached a deal this weekend, averting a strike at the company.

Last week, the CAW Local 2006 said the owner-ops voted to go on strike at the co-owned companies, Team Transport Services, Port Transport and Pacific Transportation Group, if a new contract wasn’t reached by today, May 4th.

The union had struck deals with six other carriers since the drivers’ contract expired in December, but with the three aforementioned companies a trip rate dealing with the short distance movement of empty containers to and from off-dock sites was the outstanding issue.

Bob Simpson, president of the three companies involved, told media that the issue has been resolved and the owner-ops will not go on strike.

The agreements are said to be the same as the others the union negotiated.

Because of the small number of drivers involved, a strike was not expected to have a major impact at the Port of Vancouver, however.