Truckers Backed By Teamsters Strike Four Transportation Firms @ Ports of LB/LA, Want Wages/Benefits Paid As Employees, Not "Independent Contractors"

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Agreement reached with one company avoiding strike

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(April 27, 2015, UPDATED from breaking) -- As heard LIVE this morning (April 27) on LBREPORT.com, Teamsters-backed truckers called a strike aimed at four transportation firms at the Ports of Long Beach / Los Angeles, putting up picket lines in the 6 a.m. hour. The issue is (again) whether companies should treat truckers as employees (union position) or independent contractors (union alleges this is illegal, calling it "wage theft"; which the companies deny.)

One firm, Green Fleet Systems, and Teamsters reach agreement on "project labor agreement," avoiding strike.

LBREPORT.com carried a press conference call by the Teamsters spokesperson. To HEAR it (speaker is Barbara Maynard) click here. A written release from the striking truckers ("Justice for Port Truck Drivers" on letterhead which includes Teamsters logo) states in pertinent part: .

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On Monday, April 27, 2015, port truck drivers serving the nation's largest port complex began a strike of four major drayage firms serving the twin ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, where a crippling slowdown in early 2015 sent shock waves through the U.S. economy. Primary picket lines are now up company yards in the greater Los Angeles area an in San Diego, and truckers and their supporters are picketing company trucks at marine terminals, rail yards, and customer warehouses as far away as the US/Mexico border...
Striking drivers are picketing the following companies: Intermodal Bridge Transport; Pacific 9 Transportation; Pacer Cartage (LA region and San Diego); Harbor Rail Transport. Additionally, drivers and their supporters are picketing company trucks as they enter marine terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, rail yards throughout the region, and customer warehouses as far east as Mira Loma and as far south as the U.S. Mexico border...Since drivers last struck in November 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has joined the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), California courts, the California Division Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), Employment Development Department (EDD), and Disability Insurance (SDI), in ruling that drivers are misclassified as "independent contractors."...

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One firm, Green Fleet Systems, LLC, reached an agreement with the Teamsters Union to enter into a [joint statement in release] "comprehensive labor peace agreement designed to ensure that Green Fleet's drivers have an opportunity to exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act and, if they choose, to select an exclusive representative for purpose of collective bargaining. This agreement also allows for the orderly conduct of business and insures that Green Fleet's loyal customers will continue to receive their deliveries timely and without interruption."

The striking drivers have launched a national petition asking Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia to ban [what the striking truckers call] law-breaking for profit from the ports.

At midmorning, Port of Long Beach Exec. Dir. John Slangerup issued a statement contending what's taking place was "informational" picketing and not a strike. At late afternoon, the Port issued a revised statement calling the picketing "ambulatory" [consistent with the description used by the Teamsters spokesperson.]

[Slangerup revised statement] The Teamsters union started ambulatory picketing this morning at the Port of Long Beach. The Teamsters are targeting four non-union trucking companies that transport cargo to and from four of our Port's 22 terminal operations. Dockworkers have reported to work and truckers have been able to enter and exit the affected terminals without delay. We do not expect that there will be any adverse impact to Port terminals or our ability to continue the outstanding progress that everyone has made in recent weeks to clear the congestion backlog and return to normal operations.
The Port of Long Beach does not employ or contract with the drivers involved in this action, but we respect the rights of the drivers to picket. Our Harbor Patrol officers and Long Beach Police are monitoring the situation and they are keeping the roadways accessible to all who want to do business at the Port.

[LBREPORT.com comment: We presume PoLB management is very sensitive to any action(s) after recent protracted contract negotiations with dockworkers/ILWU that might erode confidence in the reliability of using the Port of LB.]

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And in a separate but possibly related labor-related development, LB Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond has agendized an item [scheduled before this morning's developments] for tonight's (April 27) Harbor Commission meeting that (if approved by the Board of Harbor Commissioners) would instruct Port staff to negotiate a port wide project labor agreement with the Los Angeles/Orange County Building Trades Council. To view/download Commission President Drummon's agendizing memo, click here The item follows an April 7, 2014 LB City Council vote (7-0) to enact a citywide Project Labor Agreement requiring union pay/beneifts on city public works projects over $500,000, a measure sought by the politically active LA/OC building trades unions.