Teamsters Join Striking Truckers at Long Beach Port

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa joined striking truck drivers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Wednesday, one day after promising strikers the support of the Teamsters’ 1.4 million members nationwide.

The truckers are protesting what the union calls unfair labor practices, including drivers “misclassified as independent contractors” rather than employees.

“These drivers are on strike to protest unfair labor practices, including misclassification and retaliation, harassment, and intimidation for having filed claims for wage theft with the California Labor Commissioner’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement,” said Barb Maynard of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Maynard said workers who are “misclassified as independent contractors” are “robbed of basic workplace protections like the right to minimum wage, overtime pay, and a safe and healthful workplace.”

About 40 workers at the California Cartage warehouse in Wilmington also joined the strike Wednesday, according to spokesman Sheheryar Kaaosji.

Port officials said shipping terminals have remained open during the strike, which began on Monday.

Port spokesman Phillip Sanfield said the strike had caused only minimal impact on port operations, adding that L.A. port police were on hand to ensure traffic safety and that cargo continues to move.

City News Service