Truckers at one of two Port of Vancouver carriers facing a strike have reached a tentative agreement, their union said on Tuesday.
Aheer Transportation signed the agreement a day after the union Unifor issued a 72-hour strike notice. The drivers at the British Columbia port have been seeking health and dental benefits, and improved detention pay.
However, about 120 drivers at Prudential Transportation still plan to begin a strike on Friday.
Aheer signed a tentative pattern agreement similar to others that Unifor has reached with the Vancouver port trucking companies.
Jerry Dias, Unifor national president, called on Prudential to follow suit.
“The Unifor pattern agreement in Vancouver’s container truck sector is fair and provides drivers with reasonable wages and benefits,” Dias said in a statement. “There is simply no reason every trucking company at the port should not have signed it already.”
The continued threat of a strike — albeit smaller — comes as the Port of Vancouver faces continued strain resulting from the disruption of rail service due to flooding and landslides. As of Tuesday evening, 55 vessels were waiting for a berth, including eight container vessels.
Prudential and Aheer did not respond to requests for comment. Details of the agreement with Aheer have not been released.