Truck Drivers Halt Work at Port of Oakland
Some truck drivers at the Port of Oakland stopped working Oct. 21 to protest what they called unsafe working conditions and unfair labor practices, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The work stoppage was organized by the Port of Oakland Truckers Association, which said its members are independent contractors that can’t join a union but organized to fight “deteriorating conditions,” according to the newspaper.
The association said it is wants a $50 monthly “green emissions fee” for the cost of upgrading trucks to meet new exhaust standards, set to take effect Jan. 1. It also wants an increase in payment per cargo load, which the group says has not increased in 10 years.
“We want to put an end to inhumane treatment,” the trucker group said in a statement. “We need safer conditions and better compensation.”
In August, drivers protested wait times up to six hours at the port and shut down five berths and began blocking other terminals before police arrived and restored access.
