Angry truckers clog roads to make a point

Fuel prices, wages at issue

Chris Morris

The Canadian Press

AMHERST, N.S. - Defiant truckers parked their rigs along a key section of the Trans-Canada Highway yesterday, slowing traffic in a protest that threatened to roll across the country.

At least 400 large, 18-wheel trucks lined the highway at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border in a partial blockade that almost paralyzed the movement of goods in Atlantic Canada.

Late yesterday, the Nova Scotia government obtained an interim injunction against the protesters, who were trying to draw attention to high fuel prices.

One lane on each side of the four-lane divided highway was open to passenger traffic and emergency vehicles, but all transport trucks were stopped and forced to join the protest.

Truckers who lead the spontaneous action have a long list of grievances, but the main ones are rising fuel prices, toll highways and declining wages.

The Maritimes protest was the first visible sign of growing discontent in the North American trucking business, mainly over the price of diesel fuel, which has increased 150% in the past year.

Some truckers must now pay almost $1,000 to fill up their tanks.

Several hundred truckers across the Toronto area parked their vehicles and refused to work yesterday unless they get help with fuel costs and wages that have not risen in 12 years.

Many met in Toronto's west end to mobilize peaceful protests at truck stops in Toronto, London, Ont., and Bloomfield, about 100 kilometres east of Windsor.

"We're staying out for as long as it takes," said Paul Bourgeois, a trucker. "This is going nationwide, if not North American-wide."

Mr. Bourgeois said the initial one-day protest could last a few days.

"We're not trying to hold the public at ransom," he added, arguing drivers resent their quality of life.

In Newfoundland, about a dozen rigs were parked at a weigh station in Fox Trap, about 20 kilometres from St. John's.

About 90% of domestic transportation of cargo in Canada is moved by truck, and 80% of the country's commodities is transported by truck.

Jeannie Cruickshank, of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, said delay in food deliveries is troublesome because retail stores use Mondays to replenish their shelves after heavy weekend shopping.

Mike Harris, the Ontario Premier, said he supports the truck drivers' fight, but they should not expect his government to cut its share of provincial taxes.

Meanwhile, shippers and exporters suffered no major disruptions yesterday from trucking protests but are keeping a close eye on the possibility of a larger, Canada-wide blockade from independent angry drivers.

He added that Ontario has not increased its share of the fuel tax since 1995.

"For oil companies to say tax is a problem -- it's the same tax when diesel fuel was 40 cents," he said."That has not contributed one cent to the increase in diesel fuels."

Meanwhile, shippers and exporters suffered no major disruptions yesterday from trucking protests but are keeping a close on on the possibility of a larger, Canada-wide blockade from independent angry drivers.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news.asp?f=000222/211730&s2=national&s3=coasttocoast

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 22, 2000

Answers

More power to the truckers If you have it;a truck brought it. There is no logical reason for the fuel increase except sadistic OPEC wants to flex it's muscle again, and put the little guy competition under in the process.

-- (La0572@AOL.com), February 22, 2000.

You know what I don;t understand is this... Im sure their are a few drivers that have heard or know of the "reason " why the fuel prices are so high.. do they all believe what the media says is the reason for the price increase, or if they have information about possible other reasons ( for example problem;s with refineries) why doesn't someone (I mean the drivers)take this opportunity to voice that position..

-- bank teller (nine to five@working.com), February 22, 2000.

Carl, I'm here in Quebec now and saw this on the t.v. news today. They've also shown American truckers driving around Wash. DC in file in protest, joining Canadian truckers in solidarity, the news said.

-- Chris (*#$%^@pond.com), February 22, 2000.