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December 11, 2003 - NEWS RELEASE
Ferry strike hurting island construction industry
Burnaby, B.C. – The ferry strike has already begun to impact Vancouver Island’s construction industry, according to the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association.
“As of today, a $2.5 million hospital project is being held up on Saltspring Island,” said Victoria-based contractor and ICBA president John Knappett. “BC Ferries is deemed an essential service for a reason. Without ferry service, construction companies cannot get employees or materials to the job-site.”
Knappett says that British Columbians may be surprised to learn how much construction material is shipped via BC Ferries to support Vancouver Island’s construction industry.
According to the ICBA's estimates, roughly 4000 construction companies operate on Vancouver Island, creating jobs for over 16,000 employees. Annually, these companies complete construction projects valued at nearly $600 million and create nearly $1 billion in economic activity.
“If this strike lasts for more than a few days, we will begin to see shortages in some specialty materials, which could lead to layoffs,” said Knappett. “It would be sadly ironic that a strike in the name of ferry workers could cause hardship amongst their fellow workers in our industry.”
The ICBA is asking the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union to be reasonable and agree to the 80-day cooling-off period.
“The government isn’t imposing a settlement. They’re simply saying, ‘cool off and go back to the bargaining table for 80 days.’ That seems like a reasonable thing for both sides to do.”
For more information, please contact:
John Knappett
President, ICBA
Office: (250) 475-6333
Cell:(250) 361-7363
| ICBA is the voice of BC's construction industry. For further information, or if you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please contact ICBA. |
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