Days before the Freedom Convoy protest, the labour department complained of “significant” labour shortages in a trucking industry that could not afford to lose drivers, according to records. A cabinet proposal that interprovincial truckers show proof of vaccination was dropped a week after the protest ended..“Key sectors in the economy including the trucking sector continue to face significant workforce challenges,” said a department briefing note Safety And Training In The Trucking Sector. Trucking companies were “struggling to find workers,” it said..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the note is dated January 13. Days later on January 28 the Freedom Convoy began a month-long blockade of Parliament to protest vaccine mandates..“The vacancy rate for this sector (8%) remained above national levels (5%) indicating that trucking sector employers are in need of more skilled workers but are having a difficult time filling vacancies,” wrote staff. Employers needed “creative solutions,” they said. The briefing note made no mention of vaccination orders..The Department of Transport last August 13 first proposed a vaccine mandate for federally regulated private sector workers like cross-border truckers. The labour department on December 7 issued a Canada Labour Code notice that mandates “would come into force in early 2022.”.“Making vaccination mandatory across all federally regulated workplaces will protect workers,” Labour Minister O’Regan said at the time. O’Regan subsequently dropped the proposal following the Freedom Convoy protest..“Vaccine mandates are something we continue to listen to stakeholders very keenly with but things change,” O’Regan told reporters March 2. “Public health changes, science changes. Lots of things are changing.”.“Are we still on with the vaccine mandate for interprovincial truckers?” asked a reporter. “Interprovincial, no,” replied Minister O’Regan..“We are listening,” said O’Regan. “What does that mean?” asked a reporter. “It means we’re listening,” replied O’Regan..One industry group, the Canadian Pork Council, testified February 14 at the House of Commons agriculture committee the vaccine mandate was devastating. “A mandate on interprovincial trucking would be very devastating to our country,” said Rick Bergmann, chair of the Council..“The reality is we’re experiencing a significant shortage of trucks and trailers to haul hogs across Canada and the situation is worse than publicly stated,” said Bergmann. “We’ve talked with different drivers, different driving businesses, transport companies and so on and they are pulling their hair out. If this in fact happens the problem has gotten much worse.”.“We have made our position known,” said Bergmann. “We notice that people love eating meat.”
