Teamsters-Backed Strikes Continue Against Two Southern California Fleets
Teamsters-backed demonstrators continued to strike against XPO Logistics and Pacific 9 Transportation, two Southern California port trucking companies, as the battle to organize drayage drivers continued.
Drivers at both companies intend to be on strike throughout the week, said Barb Maynard, a spokeswoman for Justice for Port Truckers. Job actions have been ongoing against Pacific 9, known as Pac 9, for 15 weeks. The workers, who are seeking employee status, are protesting misclassification of workers, pay levels well below $15 per hour and other financial arrangements.
Job actions have been intensifying this year as workers who are independent contractors seek to become company employees, making it possible for them to become union members.
“They are working far below that living wage,” said Fred Potter, who spoke at the demonstration and heads the union’s port division. “We pledge to stand with them throughout their fight. We are not going away.”
Neither Pac 9 nor XPO could be reached for comment.
A statement by organizers said that the demonstration included more than 100 protestors and supporters. There were no reports of service disruptions at the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, where about 10,000 drayage drivers move container cargo. S. Calif Teamsters Strike
