Truckers give up protest

Newfoundland drivers agree to form association

By The Canadian Press

St. John's, Nfld. - A day after their four-day blockade halted shipments across Newfoundland, truckers agreed to end their protest for two weeks while they negotiate with government over how to cope with soaring operating costs.

"We'll see what happens then," Nelson Wiseman, an independent trucker from Grand Falls-Windsor, said after emerging from a meeting with Finance Minister Lloyd Matthews on Saturday.

Wiseman, who met with the minister along with about 50 colleagues, said the two sides agreed to form an independent truckers association to be funded in part by government.

The association would represent truckers' concerns before government, the industry and the public, said Wiseman, and help drivers cope with soaring diesel prices that sparked the protest.

Matthews said he looked forward to forging better relations with truckers under the new group.

"I am glad to say that today's group agreed to form an organization to represent their interests and am hopeful of what will follow," Matthews said.

Wiseman said he hoped the association will give independent truckers greater bargaining power with oil distributors over establishing stable diesel prices.

Some truckers say diesel fuel costs vary by as much as 30 cents a litre and many complain that escalating operating costs threaten to drive them out of business.

Four truckers were selected Saturday to form a steering committee that will develop the new group. They were to meet with Transportation officials Monday to discuss how the organization will be structured.

Last week's protest led to gas shortages across the province Friday after 18-wheelers blocked several points along the Trans-Canada highway.

Station after station in St. John's, Conception Bay South and surrounding areas ran dry as people rushed to the pumps to fill up.

The protest ended Friday night after a meeting with industry representatives. There will be no immediate relief at the pumps for truckers, but distributors promised to work on a formula that will help truckers whenever the cost of diesel increases.

The price of diesel - before markup and government taxes are tacked on - has doubled across Canada in the past year and is highest in Atlantic Canada. http://www.herald.ns.ca/cgi-bin/home/displaystory?2000/02/27+252.raw+Canada

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 27, 2000