Truckers Strike

[Bsuds]

So when I read this that the truckers need to make 5 trips a day but are only getting 3 then maybe there are too many truckers.
So it's not that the port is running slow just too many trucks waiting in line.

http://www.castanet.net/news/BC/110072/ ... -to-strike

[Smurf]

You are probably right. Without knowing the whole story it sounds like between the non-unionized truckers who walked off Feb 26 and the unionized who are walking off now, there are probably too many truckers. They are not saying they are paid too little, they are saying they don't get enough trips, why, too many trucks?????????? This might be a case of where the law of supply and demand will have to take over. I don't think it's up to the port to pay more if it is because there are too many trucks. If it is because they need that many to do a proper job in the time frame they want, then that is a different story. I guess time will tell and we will probably never know the true story.

One thing it does show is that an association (non-union) can cause just as much disruption as a union.

[oneh2obabe]

Truckers are paid by the load. Most have to make appointments to deliver. Not unusual for truckers to have to wait hours to drop their shipment if the company/facility/warehouse is busy. The longer they have to wait, the less time they have on the road.

[Smurf]

I would think that would be a hazard of the business. Does it mean they have to be paid a bunch more to sit or just fewer truckers so that there is no sitting. I've been caught in similar situations in both construction and maintenance where you were forced to sit and wait for another trade to finish. If you were paid by the hour it was just tough luck till you got to work. Although it never happened to me I have seen lots of people sent home because there was no work. That was a big deal if you were in a northern camp, but there was no way we could strike and force them to pay us or give us for work that didn't exist. Life isn't fair.

[oneh2obabe]

Depends on the company they work for ... some get paid an hourly rate for wait time - most don't.

[Smurf]

Yes, I can see it's a big problem. What bothers me is that in the end we will be paying for any additional costs, be it to union or non-union truckers. Just like the brilliant new idea to pass the costs of recycling on to business and taking it away from consumers and the government. Who do we think will pay the bill for the business's. I guess the only benefit is that it is more of a user pay system. Those who buy more pay more.