Gasoline retailers face price fixing class action

A $10 million class action lawsuit is being sought in Quebec Courts alleging that area gasoline retailers were fixing fuel prices. The suit comes on the heels of the federal Competition Bureau announcing it had brought charges against 11 companies and 13 individuals for alleged price-fixing. Among the entities charged, three companies and one individual have already pleaded guilty to the charges, paving the way for a class action. The three companies were fined a total of $2 million, while the individual, a former Ultramar employee, received a $50,000 fine. The Competition Bureau charges stemmed from an area fuel retailer who, four years ago, made statements in a newspaper interview revealing he had received threats from other retailers to raise his prices.