‘Our Goal Is to Shut Down the Country Until They Dissolve Parliament’: Thousands of Canadian Truckers to Strike Over Vaccine Mandates -- US truckers are organizing in parallel

epoch times ^ | 19 January A.D. 2022 | Enrico Trigoso

[lightman]

Following the Public Health Agency of Canada’s announcement that foreign truck drivers can only enter Canada if fully vaccinated starting Jan. 15, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced similar requirements starting Jan. 22 for non-U.S. national truckers crossing into the United States, thousands of truckers decided to protest against the vaccine mandates, threatening to go on strike and “strategically” paralyze multiple roads.

Canadian truckers, along with concerned citizens all over the country, decided to take action and plan to drive toward the Canadian Parliament with the intention of “shut[ing] down the country until they dissolve parliament and call an election,” according to one of the top organizers of the protest, Patty Ezery.

A similar action took place on Jan. 17 when a convoy of truckers protested against the mandates in Emerson, Manitoba, near the U.S.-Canada border.

U.S. truckers began to organize their own resistance on Tuesday. The Epoch Times is following the story and will be reporting on the developments.

Ezery is a business owner in Nova Scotia and the founder of Atlantic Freedom Fighters.

“Through this pandemic, I’ve watched our government slowly destroy our economy, mental health, and the future stability of this country,” Ezery told The Epoch Times.

“Mandates that they continue to illegally impose on the people have done far greater damage than the pandemic itself. The Canadian government continues to use phrases and words to the Canadian people through the media that incite hate toward people who have decided to utilize their right to say no to a vaccine. And as a result, hate crimes against the unvaccinated are beginning to take place. What do we do to stop this when it’s our leaders that are doing it? The Canadian people have had enough. At first, we were complacent. But look where complacency got us. It’s time for us to stand up and protect what our country stands for: freedom. We are the ‘true north, strong and free’ and the people of Canada are ready to protect that.

“[A U.S. organizer] is going to create a movement called ‘Nations Unite For Freedom’ where Canada and The United States join each other to help each other,” Ezery said, unable to hold in her emotion. “We hope by doing this that other nations are going to follow the lead and join each other.

“Thousands and thousands of vehicles,” truckers and regular vehicles will be convoying from “every corner of the nation” to the capital beginning on Jan. 23, and each state or province’s protestors will leave at a specific time to reach the capital on Jan. 28. According to Ezery, there are already at least 2,000 trucks involved that started the drive to Ottawa before the designated commencement date.

“They will leave their province in the convoy on a specific date between the 23rd and the 28th. It is strategically being planned so that all convoys from across the nation arrive in our capital on the same day, which is the 28th, and then we rest,” Ezery said.

“On the 29th, we pull into the Capitol from all different directions and we pull right into parliament, the parliament building, [and] we shut down the whole city. And while this is taking place on the 29th when we shut down Ottawa, the rest of the Canadians are going to do their part and start shutting down all provincial or state borders.”

The Epoch Times reached out to other leaders of the Canadian protestors.

“Today we have one of the most important fights and responsibilities on our hands in recent history, namely, to protect our human rights, freedom of choice, freedom of voice, expression, opinion, and uncensored debate,” said Martin Brodmann, a trucker from Nova Scotia and president of Truckers United Inc.

“Time is running out fast. Let’s not waste the few seconds we have left to make a difference, not only on behalf of our veterans but more so for the generations to come. We have to trust and let us guide not only by our doings, more so we have to trust and unite in faith regardless of what kind of beliefs anyone has.

“Faith is also a freedom of choice,” Brodmann added.

Pat King from Alberta is currently an occupational health and safety professional. He was a dispatch supervisor for five years and drove trucks for 15 years.

“We can’t go on living like this any longer. And as a father, I need to do my part to protect my children’s future and the future generations to come,” King said.

Ryan Mihilewicz, a trucker of 25 years from Saskatchewan, said: “Our veterans fought hard for our freedoms and all those freedoms are being taken. It’s time for Canadians to return the favor. The government needs to realize they work for the people, not the other way around.”

Tamara Lich, another top organizer, has worked in the oil and gas industry for 23 years.

“Our rights and freedoms have been taken from us once again, after so many years of people constantly being divided by our government it’s time for us to take a stand and demand our laws be followed properly. The government continues to find loopholes to justify their abusive behavior and it’s not going to be tolerated any further,” Lich said.

According to Ezery, there are also “tons” of trucks coming from Quebec.

On Jan. 11, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced his intention to impose a new “health contribution” tax on the unvaccinated in the coming weeks. He didn’t specify the amount to be levied but said it would be “significant.”

Joanie Pelchat is the top organizer for Quebec, a veteran medical software professional.

“It’s time to wake up. It’s time to act. It’s time to make a change. We are going downhill and it needs to change. This government overreach needs to end. I’m doing this for my daughter’s future and for Canada’s future,” Pelchat said.

[wetgundog]

American Truckers, BOYCOTT BLUE STATES AN D.C. until in HURTS!

[Walrus]

As someone who deals in cross-border truck traffic, I will most likely experience some financial loss in a Canada-US trucker job action.

I WILL GLADLY TAKE THAT LOSS!

[Eleutheria5]

WTF kind of exposure could a long-haul trucker get to covid in the cab of his rig, anyway?

[griswold3]

In your dreams. Never seen a real trucker strike in my whole life and I’ve been in bulk transport for over 45 years.

[Bratch]

NBC Reports the U.S. Trucker Vaccine Mandate Scheduled for January 22nd May Collapse Supply Chain for Food and Auto Parts

January 19, 2022 | Sundance | 200 Comments

Perhaps the mainstream media is starting to wake up.  NBC is now reporting that cross-border auto parts and food shipments may start being disrupted as the trucker vaccine mandate begins.  Approximately 60 to 75% of all U.S. truckers are not vaccinated.  The cross-border vaccine mandate for American truckers begins January 22nd as part of the Dept of Homeland Security protocol.

In October DHS announced:

…”beginning in early January 2022, DHS will require that all inbound foreign national travelers crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination. This approach will provide ample time for essential travelers such as truckers, students, and healthcare workers to get vaccinated.” (link)

The Canadian trucker vaccine mandate began January 15th, the U.S. mandate begins this weekend, January 22nd.  Given the scale of out of season fresh fruit and vegetable shipments from South and Central America, as well as Mexico, we can anticipate serious issues in the food supply chain.  The NBC article highlights trade with Canada, but that’s miniscule when compared to the trade we get from Mexico.

(Via NBC) – […] The U.S. mandate, announced in October, requires all essential foreign travelers, including truck drivers, who cross U.S. land borders to be fully vaccinated. Essential nonresident travelers had been able to enter the U.S. during the pandemic regardless of their vaccination status, in part so as not to disrupt trade and to give them more time to get vaccinated.

The forthcoming mandate follows one that went into effect in Canada last week that prohibits unvaccinated truckers from crossing into Canada from the U.S.

[…]  The border restriction will make the automotive supply chain issue worse, said Doug Betts, president of the global automotive division at J.D. Power, a data and analytics company focused on the auto industry. He noted that auto parts come from all over the world and one obstruction in the chain can significantly slow or stop production.

“By the time you map out the supply chain, it’s just a spider web going everywhere,” he said.

“I would be surprised if there are any (U.S.) cars that don’t have at least one Canadian-based part. Canada is a pretty important part of auto manufacturing,” Betts said. “Any part that doesn’t arrive or if there’s something wrong with it, you can’t build it. There’s more points of failure.”

[…]  In Michigan, Brian Hitchcock, owner of MBH Trucking LLC, said he expects his freight transportation company to lose 40 percent in revenue because only five of his 30 drivers are vaccinated, leaving the others ineligible to haul diesel exhaust fuel back and forth from Ontario, Canada, to Michigan.

“And it’s all because we can’t cross the border,” he said. “It’s affecting every sector of what we use in this country.”

Hitchcock, also the interim executive director of the Michigan Trucking Association, said he’s spoken with 15 other trucking companies who have about 400 drivers, 75 percent of whom are unvaccinated.  (read more)

One example below.

Current Canadian potatoes in deep chill storage.

[SOURCE – United Potato Canada]

80 million hundred weight (CWT) is essentially 8 million tons.  Article on excess potatoes without shipment HERE.

Good luck moving 8 million tons of potatoes without truck drivers.

[NorthWoody]

Moving 8 million tons would take about 364,000 trucks, loaded to approximately the legal weight limit of about 44,000 pounds of cargo in the trailer.

That’s a lot of spuds.

[dadfly]

good. roll on boys (and gals).

[Aussiebabe]

Is this breaking news? As of yesterday unvaxed foreigners couldn’t enter the UK. I just read an article this morning that unless the Brits make an exemption Novak cannot play at Wimbledon.

[metmom]

Prepper ping

[Qiviut]

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Drops Vaccine Passport and Mask Requirements from U.K
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/01/19/british-prime-minister-boris-johnson-drops-vaccine-passport-and-mask-requirements-from-u-k/

“The COVID passports, mandated mask requirements – including in schools, and all of the government dictates surrounding COVID have been removed.

The British people are essentially free to live again.”

[joe fonebone]

Canada on strike?
I think south Park did an episode on that...
Did not turn out well for the Canadians

[TigersEye]

Do it!

[dznutz]

Time to roll.

The days of C.W. Mc Call/Convoy like cohesiveness in the trucking industry is probably over. Now it seems like a lot of third world types behind the wheel, and judging by the way they drive, they are out for themselves.

[NeverTyranny]

With you truckers! I have the utmost respect for all of you.

“Cause we got a little convoy
Rockin’ through the night.
Yeah, we got a little convoy
Ain’t she a beautiful sight?
Come on and join our convoy
Ain’t nothin’ gonna get in our way.
We gonna roll this truckin’ convoy
‘Cross the U-S-A.
Convoy!”

[Obadiah]

How do we send financial support to these guys?

[Elsie]

[dznutz]

Less than 2% of truck drivers are unionized these days. The old Teamsters domination of the trade was shut down by de-regulation of the 80s.

The recently ended Federal oversight of the Teamsters because of mob influence didn’t help either.

[Secret Agent Man]

Good.

Thank God.

I will pray very hard for their efforts.

[Bratch]

The knowledge on this board never ceases to amaze.

[Nathan _in_Arkansas]

Good. Hold the line, boys. I can do without a lot of comfort items for months to years if need be.

This fight is more important that convenience and comfort.