B.C. ports dispute could lead automakers to send cars elsewhere, says Victoria dealer
John Kot, the president of the Kot Auto Group, which owns nine car dealerships across B.C., including three on Vancouver Island, says his business is one of thousands that are reeling from news that B.C. port workers are still off the job.
“It’s been pretty dramatic for us. There’s literally thousands and thousands of cars sitting at the port that customers can’t take delivery of that have been waiting for months,” Kot said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, longshore workers were back on the picket lines, after the union's leadership rejected a tentative deal, saying it was for too many years and didn't pay members enough.
On Wednesday, federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan called the new strike illegal. The union responded by issuing a new 72-hour strike notice, which it retracted later in the day.
By Wednesday evening, the union and its employer still weren’t at the negotiating table, as cargo continued to pile up in Nanaimo and at 30 ports across B.C., including Vancouver, where 15,000 Hyundai vehicles are waiting for their owners.
Dealers worry there may be long-term ripple effects as the job action has already disrupted about $10-billion in trade since July 1.
“The risk to us in Canada [is] losing production from the manufacturer, because manufacturers want these cars delivered to customers, so if we don’t get it resolved, the manufacturer might send them to the States,” said Kot.
In the short term, even if manufacturers don't send future business elsewhere, customers are already waiting up to nine months for electric cars and could face longer waits. Businesses have already lost sales and employees may lose their jobs, said Kot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Toronto eliminated from PWHL playoffs
Toronto has been eliminated from the PWHL playoffs.
Information commissioner faces $700K funding shortfall, says system is 'overwhelmed'
Canada's information commissioner says her office is facing a $700,000 funding shortfall that could impact its ability to investigate complaints about government transparency and accountability.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Backlash over NFL player Harrison Butker's commencement speech has reached a new level
The NFL is distancing itself from controversial comments by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker during a recent commencement address.
Dabney Coleman, actor who specialized in curmudgeons, dies at 92
Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who specialized in smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in '9 to 5' and the nasty TV director in 'Tootsie,' has died. He was 92.
Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.