Truckers Target Ports for Job Actions

U.S. owner-operators on both coasts are following the lead of their Canadian counterparts and taking action to protest labor conditions at seaports.

In Seattle, the Teamsters union is seeking recognition as the owner-operators’ bargaining representative. On the other side of the continent, owner-operators are organizing to protest cutbacks in the longshoremen workforce, the poor condition of chassis and low pay at the Port of Baltimore.

A port industry source attributed the problems to steamship operators building larger ships that can handle three times more cargo. The result is lower rates for each container.

“It’s just squeezing everybody, including truckers,” the source said.

More than 200 owner-operators serving the Port of Seattle stopped working Aug. 17 to show solidarity with striking truckers in Vancouver, British Columbia. The action also was aimed at forcing trucking companies to recognize Teamsters Local 174 as the truckers’ bargaining representative, said Rob Hickey, organizing director for the union.

The next day, drivers traveled from Seattle to the port in Tacoma, Wash., to persuade owner-operators there to take a similar job action. Hickey said he didn’t know if any of the Tacoma drivers followed suit with Seattle.

The two ports handle more than 25 million tons of cargo annually and are served by 35 trucking companies, most of which hire owner-operators as independent contractors to haul freight, he said.

For the full story, see the August 23 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.