Context
There is an urgent need for a Task Force to be established to examine the functions and structure of the transportation and industrial relationships issues related to the movement of containers into and out of ports in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (BC) with a view to recommend a long-term strategy to facilitate industry relations, prevent the disruption of the movement of containers and maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the national transportation system.

To this effect, the Minister of Transport, in collaboration with the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Industry, will establish a Task Force to carry out a review of the transportation and related labour issues underlying the current dispute, jointly with the Province of BC. The timeframe for the review is consistent with that of the Order-in-Council related to the dispute, dated July 29, 2005 (P.C. 2005-1356).

Membership and Delegation
The Task Force shall be comprised of three appointed members and will retain the services of Vince Ready as Special Advisor to the Task Force.

The Task Force will be responsible for establishing processes and procedures that govern how its mandate will be carried out. For the purposes of discharging its mandate, the Task Force may retain the services of expert advisors as deemed necessary.

Scope
The Task Force is generally mandated to examine transportation and related industrial relations issues affecting the owner-operator truckers and trucking operators. Specifically, the mandate of the Task Force would be to:

1. Examine and make recommendations on the roles of affected port authorities, brokers, freight-forwarders, shippers, trucking firms, truck owner-operators, as well as the provincial and federal governments with regard to optimizing efficiency in the movement of containers in the Lower BC Mainland, including movements into and out of the ports of Vancouver, Fraser River and North Fraser;
   
   
2. Examine and report on possible synergies and optimization in the operations of the various port authorities, including such elements as 24 hour services;
   
   
3. Examine and provide recommendations on the enforceability, by way of licensing or other effective mechanisms, of any standards for remuneration and other conditions, including the application of such standards to companies who are not party to an agreement on remuneration; the potential impact of new entrants; and corporate restructuring (successorship), and on the mechanisms required for any recommended licensing regimes to be established and enforced at the ports of Vancouver, Fraser River and North Fraser, including access compliance;
   
   
4. Examine costs and possible impediments and inefficiencies in the movement of containers, including wait times and dispatch procedures, within the Lower BC Mainland;
   
   
5. Examine and provide options and recommendations regarding legislative and/or regulatory frameworks available to the federal and provincial governments and how these may be applicable;
   
   
6. Examine and report on best practices at other ports and how they may apply in these circumstances;
   
   Industrial Relations Component:
   
   
7. Examine the industrial relations between the trucking companies and container truck drivers serving the ports of Vancouver, Fraser River and North Fraser, including the process for determining rates and other contract terms and conditions and the process for resolving disputes; and
   
   
8. Examine other outstanding issues of representation.

Reports and Timing
The Task Force is to concurrently provide interim reports and a final report to the Federal Minister of Transport, the Federal Minister of Labour, the BC Minister of Labour and Citizens Services, and the BC Minister of Transportation. Specifically, the Task Force shall submit an interim report no later than 45 days from the start of its mandate containing its recommendations on the matters referred to in items #3, 5 and 7 of the Terms of Reference, and shall present its final report, including recommendations, before the end of the 90-day timeframe provided by the Order-in-Council related to the dispute, dated July 29, 2005 (P.C. 2005-1356).


For more information, see:
Vancouver Port Authority Submission to Task Force

For more information contact:

Duncan Wilson
Senior Advisor, Corporate Communications
and Public Affairs
Tel 604.665.9067
Cel 778.231.6991
duncan.wilson@portvancouver.com

For more information:
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