VANCOUVER, (Aug. 4, 2005) — The five-week trucker strike at the Port of Vancouver is finally over — sort of.

It seems that a straightforward end to the labour conflict is unreachable, as about half of the 1,200 independent container haulers that have been off the job since June 27, are expected to get back to work this week.

So far, only 25 of about 50 trucking carriers — contracting about one third of the striking owner-ops –have agreed to sign a controversial licence agreement put forth by the Vancouver Port Authority, reports Canadian Press.

The VPA implemented a 90-day interim licence provision that requires the carriers to attain licences to pick up or drop off containers within the port. The catch is, by signing on to the provision, carriers would be forced into automatically accepting a proposal laid out by government-mediator Vince Ready this past weekend — a proposal approved by 90 percent of the truckers on Sunday but unanimously rejected by the trucking firms the same day.

According to media reports, Ready’s deal would pay the owner-ops $90 to $185 per container, per leg, for the first year, increasing up to $200 in 2006, as well as implement a fuel surcharge when average prices for diesel hits the $1.05 per litre mark.

A few truckers working for the carriers that have agreed to the provision started trickling back into the port yesterday, with many more expected today. However, port officials estimate that clearing the backlog of the 25,000 containers stacked up on the dock could take up to six weeks or more.

A port spokesman told CP that a majority of the carriers, about 40, have indicated they would sign the agreement soon. In order to accommodate those companies, the VPA has extended the deadline to get an interim licence from to 4 p.m. Friday. The original cut-off point was today.

A handful of carriers, however, refuse to sign the licensing agreement, saying the VPA has no authority to implement such a provision. Several, including Pro West Transport — a company which had some of its trucks shot at during the strike — told CP they plan to take legal action against the port for trying to regulate rates.

But Ken Halliday, a representative for the owner-ops, guesses competition will drive the remaining companies to sign a licence agreement in order to avoid being left out when trucks start hauling containers again.

Some big box shippers and importers are also warning not to expect freight volumes to return to the Vancouver Port right away — if at all. Skeptical of the truce, various businesses told media they plan on continuing to divert containers to Seattle, Portland, and Miami ports.

— with files from CP