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
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.