A major truckers' union has filed a defamation lawsuit against Langley-Abbotsford Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu after he accused the organization of corruption and nepotism in social media posts.
The Teamsters Local 213, which represents thousands of gravel truck drivers across British Columbia, filed the legal action on May 26, seeking damages and an injunction to stop what they call false and malicious attacks on their reputation.
The controversy centers on comments Bhangu made during a May 8 speech in the B.C. Legislature, where he accused the union of playing favorites when assigning truck drivers to lucrative construction projects.
While politicians cannot be sued for statements made on the Legislature floor due to parliamentary privilege, the union argues that Bhangu crossed a legal line when he posted videos of his speech on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), along with written comments repeating his allegations.
For truck drivers in Langley who depend on fair access to work opportunities, this dispute highlights ongoing tensions about how jobs are distributed on major infrastructure projects.
The region has seen significant construction activity in recent years, including work on Highway 1 expansions and other provincial projects that provide steady employment for local truckers and their families.
How the Dispatch System Works
At the heart of this dispute is the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), a system that governs how truck drivers get assigned to major public construction projects like the Pattullo Bridge replacement and Vancouver's Broadway SkyTrain extension. Understanding how this system works is crucial to grasping why the union felt compelled to take legal action.
According to the Teamsters' court filing, the process follows clear rules. When contractors working on these big projects need trucks, they first use their own employee drivers. If they need more trucks, they submit a request to the union. The union then works through a list of owner-operator members who have signed up for CBA projects, calling them in order.
If that list runs out, they move to a second list of independent operators who have their own agreements with the union and employ additional drivers. Only after both lists are exhausted do they call outside brokers to fill remaining spots.
This systematic approach is designed to ensure fairness and give long-standing union members priority access to well-paying jobs. For many trucking families, getting called for these projects can mean the difference between making ends meet and falling behind on bills.
Tony Santavenere, the union's business manager, defended the system in a statement, saying "The allegations made by Mr. Bhangu are false, malicious and defamatory. Those comments have caused damage to our organization's character and reputation."
The MLA's Accusations and Response
In his Legislature speech, Bhangu painted a very different picture of how the dispatch system operates. As a trucker himself and a member of Teamsters Local 213, he claimed insider knowledge of the system's flaws.
"I am a part of the Teamsters 213, and I can never, ever recall them ever giving me a whiff of even going to a job like this," Bhangu told his fellow MLAs. He went on to allege that the union had created its own internal dispatch system where they "pick and choose" favorites, claiming that "people who literally got their memberships a couple of months ago" were getting work before members with 20 or 30 years of experience.
Most controversially, Bhangu named specific individuals in his speech, including union business agent Amneet Sekhon, whose father owns a company that acts as a broker for contractors. He suggested this family connection was evidence of what he called "blatant corruption and systemic nepotism."
When contacted about the lawsuit, Bhangu dismissed it as an attempt to silence him. "This is just an attempt to silence me and intimidate me, and I've sought legal counsel, and on that, that will be all I'm saying today, and I'm very confident nothing will come of this," he told reporters.
Notably, the social media posts that sparked the lawsuit appear to have been removed from Bhangu's accounts, though he declined to comment on their removal.
Impact on Working Families
This legal battle affects more than just the politicians and union officials involved. For the thousands of truck drivers who depend on fair access to construction jobs, attacks on their union's integrity can have real consequences.
When public figures question the fairness of job dispatch systems, it can undermine trust between workers and their representatives. This is especially concerning in communities like Langley, where trucking provides stable, well-paying jobs for families who might otherwise struggle to afford the region's rising cost of living.
The construction projects covered by the Community Benefits Agreement represent some of the best opportunities for truck drivers to earn good wages with proper safety standards. These aren't just jobs – they're pathways to home ownership, education for children, and retirement security for hard-working families.
Union members have reportedly expressed frustration that their organization is being forced to spend time and resources defending itself in court rather than focusing on improving working conditions and securing more opportunities for drivers.
Pattern of Social Media Attacks
According to the union's legal filing, this isn't the first time Bhangu has used social media to attack the organization.
The lawsuit claims he has made similar allegations "on several occasions" dating back to 2019, suggesting a pattern of behavior that goes beyond a single heated moment in the Legislature.
The union describes Bhangu as a "chronic user of social media" who should have known his comments would be widely shared and potentially damaging. This raises important questions about how elected officials use their platforms and the responsibility that comes with having thousands of followers who trust their words.
For working people who rely on their unions to protect their interests, seeing their elected representatives repeatedly attack these organizations on social media can feel like a betrayal, especially when the politician making the attacks is himself a union member who has benefited from collective bargaining.
Looking Ahead
The lawsuit seeks several remedies, including general, aggravated, and punitive damages, as well as an injunction preventing Bhangu from making similar statements in the future.
While none of the allegations have been proven in court, the case highlights the ongoing tensions between some Conservative politicians and organized labor in British Columbia.
The union has retained Andrew Mercier as their lawyer, a respected labor attorney who previously served as NDP MLA for Langley-Willowbrook. His involvement signals that the union is taking this matter seriously and is prepared for a potentially lengthy legal battle.
For truck drivers in Langley and across the province, the outcome of this case could have significant implications.
If the union succeeds, it might deter other politicians from making unsubstantiated attacks on labor organizations. If Bhangu prevails, it could embolden critics of unions to be more aggressive in their rhetoric.
What's clear is that working families deserve better than having their livelihoods caught up in political fights.
Whether hauling gravel for a new bridge or delivering materials to a SkyTrain construction site, truck drivers are essential workers who keep our province building and growing. They deserve representatives who will fight for their interests, not attack the organizations that protect their rights.
As this case moves through the courts, the trucking community will be watching closely, hoping for a resolution that upholds both free speech and the dignity of honest workers trying to make a living in an increasingly challenging economy.
References and Further Reading
Ian Holliday
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