A labour dispute has escalated into a lockout at DHL Express facilities nationwide, including a warehouse near Victoria International Airport, leaving several Unifor union members, including longtime owner-operators, picketing outside the premises.
They join 2,100 other workers in the union, hoping issues related to pay, working conditions, automation and surveillance could be resolved swiftly.
The dispute, which centres around disagreements over fair compensation and proposed contract concessions, has sparked concerns about worker livelihoods and the future of labour relations with the international courier giant.
Vince Robertson, a five-ton highway driver and 36-year veteran owner-operator for DHL, is among those affected by the lockout, which began on Sunday, June 8.
He and his colleagues have been camping outside the warehouse, taking shifts under a tent, since receiving a letter from DHL management announcing the lockout on Thursday, June 5.
"I'm stressed and I haven’t been sleeping well," Robertson said. "Being out here is working hard, but it might not seem like it right now."
He expressed dismay over the abruptness of the lockout, particularly after employees reported to work the next day, hoping for a resolution.
"On Friday, we even came to work in good faith, thinking they could reach a resolution and we could continue going to our regular operations on Monday," said another employee who wished to remain anonymous.
"But no, we were locked out by Sunday. They had their lock on the gate and all of our key cards were deactivated."
DHL also suspended Green Shield coverage, impacting workers' access to dental and medical benefits, a move Unifor characterized as an "aggressive" attempt to pressure union members.
Unifor argues that the core issue is a disagreement regarding the value of labour and fair compensation in the current economic climate.
“We need to keep up with the times and the prices – everything is going up, except our salaries,” said another employee.
The union argues that while DHL aims to maintain profitability amidst global challenges and rising costs, its proposals would impact the financial stability of workers and their families.
“They haven't given us the yearly increment and it’s time to renew the contract, but they haven't done that,” the employee said.
According to Unifor, the proposed concessions include changes to the driver pay system that would result in lost income, uncompensated travel of up to 100 kilometres to reach routes or pick up freight, allowing the company to refuse accommodation requests, layoffs and reductions in drivers’ daily guarantee.
DHL has also rerouted pickups across the country while reducing pay for owner-operators.
Brian Cho, a DHL Express owner-operator for nearly five years, described the situation as "a difficult time for everyone and their families," highlighting the financial strain the lockout is placing on workers.
"I need to make money for my house mortgage," he explained.
Workers at the North Saanich warehouse expressed a desire to communicate their concerns directly to DHL management, urging them to end the lockout and provide a fairer living wage.
"Most of us work two jobs to feed our children and clothe ourselves – it’s ridiculous," another employee said. "We have bills we need to pay, but we can't continuously use our credit card and gain more debt."
"If we have a union job, we shouldn't have to work two different jobs to make a living," Robertson added, emphasizing the need for fair compensation that reflects the contributions of DHL employees.
Despite the ongoing dispute, workers maintain that their demands are reasonable, particularly given DHL's financial success.
“We’re not asking for much, especially for a company that makes a billion dollars – just something extra to help us live a little bit better every day,” Robertson said.
