By Mark Edward Nero
On Oct. 26, port truck drivers, who say they are misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees, began an “unfair labor practice” strike at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex.
It’s the eighth time in the three years such a strike has taken place. This time, the striking drivers include those who work for two companies: trucking company Pacific 9 Transportation – who have been on an indefinite strike since July – and global transport company XPO Logistics, which has multiple offices in Southern California.
Dozens of drivers are believed to be participating in the strike, although a spokeswoman with Justice For Drivers, the group leading the effort, said they did not have an exact number.
Officials at the two ports have said that the impact of the strike on operations has been minimal and that although some terminals have been picketed, the disruptions have done little to slow down traffic coming in and out of the terminal gates.
Drivers have said they went on strike to protest unfair labor practices, including job misclassification, retaliation, harassment and intimidation for having filed claims for wage theft with the California Labor Commissioner’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
The indefinite picket is organized in part by the Teamsters union, which for years has pushed to have the drivers recognized as employees with their respective companies so that they may then be eligible to join the union.
The Harbor Trucking Association, which represents a collective of LA area transport companies, has said the Teamsters and other outside interest groups don’t represent the majority of its drivers, and that independent contractor status offers drivers flexibility and the opportunity to own their own small businesses.
Showing posts with label Teamsters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teamsters. Show all posts
Friday, October 30, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Truckers Picket Southern California Ports
By Mark Edward Nero
Truck drivers who haul goods to and from the ports in Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego began an “informational picket” the morning of April 27 in response to a long-simmering labor wages dispute involving the Teamsters and four Southern California drayage companies.
The four companies picketed during the day were Harbor Rail Transport, which is based near Los Angeles; Long Beach-based Intermodal Bridge Transport; Pacer Cartage, which has offices in San Diego and in Los Angeles County; and Pacific 9 Transportation, which has offices in the LA County cities of Carson and Long Beach.
The protest is the latest in a series of job actions that the truck drivers, supported by the Teamsters, have taken against harbor-area trucking firms. There was also a series of short-term strikes and pickets at the LA and Long Beach ports in 2013-14.
The truckers have contended that they should be classified as employees by the companies they work for, rather than independent contractors. The reclassification would possibly mean increased wages and health benefits. For years, the Teamsters union has worked to gain employee status for the drivers so they’d be eligible to join the union.
Of the estimated 500 drivers associated with the four companies, about 200 walked picket lines Monday morning and more were on hand during the afternoon for secondary picketing at port terminals.
Terminals at all three ports remained opened Monday morning, a point that Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup wanted to make clear.
“Dockworkers have reported to work and truckers have been able to enter and exit the affected terminals without delay,” Slangerup said Monday morning about his port. “We do not expect that there will be any adverse impact to port terminals.”
The Harbor Trucking Association, which represents trucking companies near the ports, said last week when it was becoming clear when the possibility of picketing was rising, that the pickets would come at a “horrible” time, since some ports are still trying to dig out from a backlog of cargo containers built up last fall and winter during a labor dispute between terminal operators and longshore workers.
“If they want to be a part of the real solution perhaps they should suspend these efforts until we get closer to a normal flow of cargo in the San Pedro Bay,” Trucking Association Executive Director Weston LaBar said. “We don't want to put any more jobs in our region in jeopardy.”
The Teamsters did not initially make it clear how long the picketing would last, but previous demonstrations at the LA and Long Beach ports lasted anywhere from one to three days.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Striking Port Truckers Return to Jobs
By Mark Edward Nero
About 120 truck drivers who had been picketing the dual ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in protest of alleged unfair labor practices were back on the job as of July 14.
The drivers picketed from July 7 to 11 as part of a protest against three trucking companies, Rancho Dominguez-based Green Fleet Systems and Total Transportation Services Inc., and Carson-based Pacific 9 Transportation. The drivers’ demands included being designated as employees, rather than independent contractors, wage increases and the ability to unionize.
The Long Beach-based group that organized the strike is known as Justice for Port Truck Drivers, but the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents trucking companies near the ports, has blamed the labor unrest on the Teamsters, which has been trying for years to gain employee status for the drivers so they’d then be eligible to join the union.
Last week’s truckers’ strike was the fourth time in about a year that the drivers picketed the ports. However, unlike the previous labor actions, which were scheduled to run a finite amount of time – usually 24 to 48 hours – the latest labor action was planned to be indefinite, with drivers saying they had no plans to return unless their demands were met.
The end came when Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti convinced the labor action’s organizers to agree to a temporarily halt the strike for a time while the drivers’ complaints are investigated.
“Following the city’s meetings with both sides, the Teamsters have agreed to pull down their pickets and enter a cooling off period to allow the Harbor Commission time to investigate the serious allegations regarding worker safety, poor working conditions and unfair labor practices,” Garcetti said. “The city will facilitate a dialog among the parties in the weeks ahead.”
The strike’s organizers said in a statement that the three trucking companies have agreed to accept all truckers back to work “without retaliation and without being forced to sign away all future rights in new truck leases.” Drivers will also return to work on their regular shifts, according to the statement.
“While the drivers wanted to continue the strike, they agreed to a cooling off period because Mayor Garcetti personally committed to them that he will thoroughly investigate the serious injustices the drivers presented and take strong action,” Teamsters Vice President and Port Division Director Fred Potter said.
About 120 truck drivers who had been picketing the dual ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in protest of alleged unfair labor practices were back on the job as of July 14.
The drivers picketed from July 7 to 11 as part of a protest against three trucking companies, Rancho Dominguez-based Green Fleet Systems and Total Transportation Services Inc., and Carson-based Pacific 9 Transportation. The drivers’ demands included being designated as employees, rather than independent contractors, wage increases and the ability to unionize.
The Long Beach-based group that organized the strike is known as Justice for Port Truck Drivers, but the Harbor Trucking Association, which represents trucking companies near the ports, has blamed the labor unrest on the Teamsters, which has been trying for years to gain employee status for the drivers so they’d then be eligible to join the union.
Last week’s truckers’ strike was the fourth time in about a year that the drivers picketed the ports. However, unlike the previous labor actions, which were scheduled to run a finite amount of time – usually 24 to 48 hours – the latest labor action was planned to be indefinite, with drivers saying they had no plans to return unless their demands were met.
The end came when Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti convinced the labor action’s organizers to agree to a temporarily halt the strike for a time while the drivers’ complaints are investigated.
“Following the city’s meetings with both sides, the Teamsters have agreed to pull down their pickets and enter a cooling off period to allow the Harbor Commission time to investigate the serious allegations regarding worker safety, poor working conditions and unfair labor practices,” Garcetti said. “The city will facilitate a dialog among the parties in the weeks ahead.”
The strike’s organizers said in a statement that the three trucking companies have agreed to accept all truckers back to work “without retaliation and without being forced to sign away all future rights in new truck leases.” Drivers will also return to work on their regular shifts, according to the statement.
“While the drivers wanted to continue the strike, they agreed to a cooling off period because Mayor Garcetti personally committed to them that he will thoroughly investigate the serious injustices the drivers presented and take strong action,” Teamsters Vice President and Port Division Director Fred Potter said.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Truckers Stage 2-Day Picket SoCal Container Terminals
By Mark Edward Nero
Dozens of truck drivers serving the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach returned to work April 30 after a 48-hour unfair labor practice strike that marked an escalation in the nonunion drivers’ fight for employee rights.
The picketing began at 6 am April 28 at the Long Beach Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach and later spread to other locations throughout the port complex, including the Evergreen and Yusen terminals at the Port of LA.
Drivers from three trucking companies – Rancho Dominguez-based Green Fleet Systems and Total Transportation Services Inc., and Pacific 9 Transportation of Carson – participated in the picket.
The strike was organized by the Teamsters union, which has been trying for years to get the truckers, who are classified as independent owner-operators, reclassified as employees and thereby eligible to join the union.
On the strike’s first day, roughly 100 International Longshore & Warehouse Union dockworkers refused to cross the truckers’ picket lines, but were eventually ordered back to work about five hours into the picket by an independent arbitrator citing the ILWU’s collective bargaining agreement. The same arbitrator, however, ruled that the truckers were allowed to continue with their picket.
“I spent nearly 48 hours on the picket line,” Dennis Martinez, a port truck driver who works for Total Transportation Services said. “Our resolve has never been stronger. We will not tolerate any form of retaliation, harassment, or intimidation in our fight to have our rights as employees – and our right to form a union – recognized.”
Fred Potter, the Teamsters’ International Vice President and Director of the Port Division, said the picket was “highly successful” and that it sent a strong message to the trucking companies, their shipper clients and the terminal operators.
“The era of port truck driver exploitation is over,” he said.
In response to the strike, the Harbor Trucking Association, a coalition of LA/Long Beach intermodal carriers, issued a statement decrying the labor action, saying that it was unnecessary because numerous drayage companies in the harbor area already offer employee status to their drivers.
“There are literally hundreds of unfilled vacancies for company drivers throughout Southern California,” HTA Executive Director Alex Cherin said in the statement. “If a driver wants to become an employee, rather than an independent contractor, he or she can do so.”
This week’s labor action at LA/Long Beach was just the latest act of defiance by drayage truck drivers at West Coast ports. In February and March, more than a thousand union and nonunion truck drivers launched separate strikes at Port Metro Vancouver in British Columbia over wages and other issues. The strike was settled in late March.
Also, last December, drayage truck drivers at the Port of Oakland set up pickets at four terminal gates for a day in protest of new statewide environmental rules requiring that older, more polluting trucks undergo significant retrofitting in order to continue operating at the port.
Dozens of truck drivers serving the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach returned to work April 30 after a 48-hour unfair labor practice strike that marked an escalation in the nonunion drivers’ fight for employee rights.
The picketing began at 6 am April 28 at the Long Beach Container Terminal at the Port of Long Beach and later spread to other locations throughout the port complex, including the Evergreen and Yusen terminals at the Port of LA.
Drivers from three trucking companies – Rancho Dominguez-based Green Fleet Systems and Total Transportation Services Inc., and Pacific 9 Transportation of Carson – participated in the picket.
The strike was organized by the Teamsters union, which has been trying for years to get the truckers, who are classified as independent owner-operators, reclassified as employees and thereby eligible to join the union.
On the strike’s first day, roughly 100 International Longshore & Warehouse Union dockworkers refused to cross the truckers’ picket lines, but were eventually ordered back to work about five hours into the picket by an independent arbitrator citing the ILWU’s collective bargaining agreement. The same arbitrator, however, ruled that the truckers were allowed to continue with their picket.
“I spent nearly 48 hours on the picket line,” Dennis Martinez, a port truck driver who works for Total Transportation Services said. “Our resolve has never been stronger. We will not tolerate any form of retaliation, harassment, or intimidation in our fight to have our rights as employees – and our right to form a union – recognized.”
Fred Potter, the Teamsters’ International Vice President and Director of the Port Division, said the picket was “highly successful” and that it sent a strong message to the trucking companies, their shipper clients and the terminal operators.
“The era of port truck driver exploitation is over,” he said.
In response to the strike, the Harbor Trucking Association, a coalition of LA/Long Beach intermodal carriers, issued a statement decrying the labor action, saying that it was unnecessary because numerous drayage companies in the harbor area already offer employee status to their drivers.
“There are literally hundreds of unfilled vacancies for company drivers throughout Southern California,” HTA Executive Director Alex Cherin said in the statement. “If a driver wants to become an employee, rather than an independent contractor, he or she can do so.”
This week’s labor action at LA/Long Beach was just the latest act of defiance by drayage truck drivers at West Coast ports. In February and March, more than a thousand union and nonunion truck drivers launched separate strikes at Port Metro Vancouver in British Columbia over wages and other issues. The strike was settled in late March.
Also, last December, drayage truck drivers at the Port of Oakland set up pickets at four terminal gates for a day in protest of new statewide environmental rules requiring that older, more polluting trucks undergo significant retrofitting in order to continue operating at the port.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Seattle Trucker Protests Enter Third Week
Hundreds of drayage truck drivers who haul goods to and from the Port of Seattle held a solidarity rally at the port Feb. 13, marking the end of the second week of a walkout that began Jan. 31.
An estimated 300 to 400 truckers and supporters, some carrying signs with messages such as “Justice for Seattle Port Truck Drivers” and “Fairness + Safety for All,” gathered around 9 am for the Monday rally at the Spokane Street Bridge Fishing Area and marched to the SSA Marine facility at Terminal 30.
The protest came on the heels of a Feb. 11 town hall meeting in Seattle’s neighboring city of Tukwila, where drivers aired their grievances and asked local elected officials for support. And the day before that, activists met with port, railroad and trucking company management officials, including Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, to go over their issues.
Hundreds of truckers began picketing the port Jan. 31 in protest of pay and job safety issues. Among their grievances are, they say, being forced to carry overweight and unsafe loads of cargo, and being classified as independent owner-operators under the law, which denies them the eligibility to form a union.
The drivers have the support of the Teamsters union, which is trying to organize the drivers and help them fight for the right to collectively bargain.
Two bills pending in the state Legislature would address some of the drivers’ issues: House Bill 2395 would reclassify drayage truckers as employees, instead of the current independent contractor designation. And HB 2527 would make shipping companies responsible for any defects in chassis and containers, rather than truckers.
Both bills are still at the committee level, however, and it could take weeks, if not months for them to come to a vote by the full House and Senate.
In the meantime, hundreds of truckers continue to stay off the job, but how large of a dent their departure from the ranks of the working has made on the port’s overall operations. According to port spokesman Peter McGraw, things have sporadically slowed down, but the walkout hasn’t resulted in any incoming ships or outgoing loads of cargo being turned away.
Normally, about 1,400 trucks move through the port hauling goods. But even though an estimated 300 to 400 off the job to picket, replacement workers hired by trucking companies have managed to make up part of the difference.
An estimated 300 to 400 truckers and supporters, some carrying signs with messages such as “Justice for Seattle Port Truck Drivers” and “Fairness + Safety for All,” gathered around 9 am for the Monday rally at the Spokane Street Bridge Fishing Area and marched to the SSA Marine facility at Terminal 30.
The protest came on the heels of a Feb. 11 town hall meeting in Seattle’s neighboring city of Tukwila, where drivers aired their grievances and asked local elected officials for support. And the day before that, activists met with port, railroad and trucking company management officials, including Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, to go over their issues.
Hundreds of truckers began picketing the port Jan. 31 in protest of pay and job safety issues. Among their grievances are, they say, being forced to carry overweight and unsafe loads of cargo, and being classified as independent owner-operators under the law, which denies them the eligibility to form a union.
The drivers have the support of the Teamsters union, which is trying to organize the drivers and help them fight for the right to collectively bargain.
Two bills pending in the state Legislature would address some of the drivers’ issues: House Bill 2395 would reclassify drayage truckers as employees, instead of the current independent contractor designation. And HB 2527 would make shipping companies responsible for any defects in chassis and containers, rather than truckers.
Both bills are still at the committee level, however, and it could take weeks, if not months for them to come to a vote by the full House and Senate.
In the meantime, hundreds of truckers continue to stay off the job, but how large of a dent their departure from the ranks of the working has made on the port’s overall operations. According to port spokesman Peter McGraw, things have sporadically slowed down, but the walkout hasn’t resulted in any incoming ships or outgoing loads of cargo being turned away.
Normally, about 1,400 trucks move through the port hauling goods. But even though an estimated 300 to 400 off the job to picket, replacement workers hired by trucking companies have managed to make up part of the difference.
