California Sues Two Port Trucking Firms Over Independent Contractor Status

California’s attorney general filed lawsuits against two small trucking companies Friday on grounds they allegedly deprived drivers of benefits and may have cheated the state out of payroll taxes, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Attorney General Edmund Brown said in a statement that the lawsuits filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court signaled a crackdown on trucking companies at sister ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that classify drivers as independent contractors to circumvent state employment taxes and labor laws, and have an unfair advantage over competitors, the Times reported.

The Teamsters union said in a statement that it supported Brown’s move against the two companies.