Union Says 1-Day Seattle Protest Is First in Series of Job Actions
Container haulers picketed the American President Lines terminal at the Port of Seattle Oct. 21 in what Teamsters union officials say will be the first of a series of job actions aimed at forcing ocean carriers, railroads and truck lines to address driver grievances.
The protest appeared to have slowed the flow of freight but didn’t stop trucks from moving into and out of the terminal, according to a spokesman for the Port of Seattle.
In August, drivers at Seattle and the port of Tacoma, Wash., which is nearby on Puget Sound, staged a 14-day walkout as an expression of solidarity with striking owner-operators at the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadian truckers returned to work Aug. 23 after some carriers agreed to begin paying an hourly wage and port officials agreed to institute a licensing system to prevent rate-cutting by carriers.
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 |  Michael James - Transport Topics |
| American President lines was target of picketers at Port of Seattle. |
While the one-day protest had limited impact, the action represents an escalation in the fight by some owner-operator truck drivers to win union representation, higher pay and reductions in waiting time at terminals. Owner-operators are generally classified as independent contractors by federal law and are prohibited from being unionized unless they get approval from the companies they run for.
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