Indian truckers form union in Canada



TORONTO: Indo-Canadians, who control more than 60 per cent of the trucking business here, have come together to form the Indian Trucking Association (ITA).

This is the first such body of Indian-origin truckers in North America.

"We could be the first 'desi' trucking association outside India. We are attracting not only Indo-Canadian truckers but also others - whites and those of Pakistani and Caribbean origin," ITA president Nachhattar Singh Chohan said.

He said the truckers have decided to come under the umbrella of the ITA to take up their long-pending grievances with the government.

Because of their huge numbers and economic clout, politicians of all hues are now wooing the unionised truckers.

Leaders from all parties, including New Democratic Party (NDP) boss Jack Layton, came for its formal launch last month.

And Ontario Transport Minister Jim Bradley was quick to grant them an audience to listen to their grievances.

"Earlier, nobody listened to us. Now the minister called us and assured he would look into our problems. Since most truckers speak Punjabi, he promised to appoint Punjabi-speaking officers at major inspection points," said Chohan.

He said Indo-Canadian truckers play a key role in the Canadian economy, as trucking is its lifeline. "Trucking is Canada's fourth largest industry, and we have decided to flex our muscle."

He said they have demanded if a driver is stopped for overweight or other problems, the loader or shipper, not he, should be penalised. "There are so many problems like this for us," he said.

Chohan said Canada was facing acute shortage of truckers as many Indo-Canadians were quitting this profession because of the attitude of the white transport staff.

The minister promised to meet ITA representatives each month to sort out these issues, he said.

"We are also planning monthly seminars, in collaboration with the government, on issues facing us. The first such seminar will be held March 16," the ITA chief said.

The ITA would also hold Canada's first-ever Indo-Canadian truck show - to be called Truck World - in August in partnership with manufacturers, insurance companies and the government.


[web]http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indian_truckers_form_union_in_Canada/articleshow/2816185.cms[/web]



What would happen if the "white man" did this ?

   

Indian trucking union*!

*but others can join too.


edit: unless i read that wrong.

   

Personally, I have nothing against unions and applaud the effort of these men and women to organize at a time when corporations are appearing to win their 20 deal to exterminate Canada's unionized workforce. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing a few other groups, particularly those in retail and food service, organize and stand up for decent treatment as well. Perhaps this will happen as large populations of those sectors become dominated by more aggressive and legally informed ethnic groups like teh ones responsible for the ITA.

   

They would probably call them "teamsters"

   

Or CLAC...

   

The only ones to blame here are the greedy white businessmen. I saw this begin in gravel hauling, in the early 90’s in Alberta. There was a company in Edmonton that had a monopoly in gravel. They would either put in a bid on a government contract for supplying gravel, or they would work a deal right with the contractor that got the job. We had our own independent white truckers and were paying them 100 % of government rates. This Edmonton company had a fleet of Indian gravel truckers, at the time this company was paying the Indo trucker 53 % of government rates. The white trucker said screw this, they weren’t hauling for those rates. So we found them jobs with other crews with my company. This worked out pretty good, lots of good driver, lots of bad ones, if you fired one there would be a taxi pull up with a new driver. lol. My company crunched the number on this job and liked what the had saw. They came out of the those meetings saying that the haul rate had been reduced to 70 % of government rate. Our white trucker were not happy.

My boss called our truckers back to work the next spring, they had been warned. The first truck there drove up on the scale and parked and informed the scale lady it was a blockade. My boss was told not to negotiate and at the end of the day, they all drove home from the protest. I’m not sure what time it was when they arrived in the morning, but their was 30 Paki’s trucks happier than hell that they were going to get the 70% rate and being loaded and heading out to the road. The white guys sat around wasting money as this gravel was on the move and they were losing out now. By noon they were hauling. But every year after that we lost white truckers, only to be replaced with a Paki, and a couple years later there were no more white truckers hauling on those government jobs. These fellas had an ugly strike in Edmonton a couple years back. I driver murdered, $10 of thousand in damaged trucks. They got there foot in the door then and now there going at with both feet, hopping and skipping.

Up until we used them I had never seen 2 guys arrive at the job with one right behind him with their loads on. Park get out grab a shovel, and swinging for home runs trying to take off each others heads, these first 2 were brother inlaws.

   

Why didn't they join the teamsters union?

There is a East Indian Credit union here in BC for E Indians only. One White user was told to leave and he caused a stink.

I think they backed off. That was some years ago but there are other ways to get the odd customer to leave.

Obviously profit was not their driving mission.