Vancouver Truckers OK Hourly Wage

"I'm glad it's over. I believe it is a fair deal for all parties concerned," he said.

Angry truckers withdrew their services July 22, bringing much of the container movement on the port to a standstill.

As many as 200 truckers at the Port of Seattle have staged a similar action, stopping work and picketing to bring attention to their call for higher wages and union representation.

Independent owner-drivers in Vancouver said they were paid a flat rate of up to $160 for each round trip, but traffic congestion around the port meant they completed few moves each day.

The drivers said the flat rate system didn't pay enough for them to maintain their vehicles.

Trucking companies said an hourly rate system was too costly and would lead to a loss of control over productivity.

But on Oct. 1, truckers at the port will begin to receive $46 an hour. It increases to $48 an hour by next June and $50 in March, 2001.

A total of 249 of 430 Teamster members cast ballots Saturday.

Hennessy said about 20 of the 50 trucking companies operating on Vancouver's waterfront have signed on to the deal, representing about 85 percent of the truckers and including the biggest firms such as American Cartage, Landmark Transportation and Cansea Transport.

The dispute has cost the industry an estimated $53 million because thousands of containers sat idle on the docks.

The Seattle dispute, which had spread to the Port of Tacoma late last week, has drawn the support of AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who joined truck drivers at a Seattle rally Thursday. Sweeney pledged the aid of the entire AFL-CIO.

The truckers are protesting a pay-per-load system similar to Vancouver's that they say can leave them sitting unpaid for hours. They want higher pay and to persuade the shipping companies that contract with them to recognize a union.