"The cargo won't flow until AB5 goes."

[ripcord]

Truckers initially planned a three-day protest in Oakland but are digging in after receiving no response Wednesday from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed AB5 — a controversial statute that seeks to limit the use of independent contractors and largely classify them as employee drivers — into law nearly three years ago.

The protesters held signs directed at Newsom on Wednesday reading, “The cargo won’t flow until AB5 goes.”

In a statement late Wednesday, the port confirmed the trucker protests that started Monday over the implementation of AB5 “have effectively shut down operations at shipping terminals at the Port of Oakland.”

“We understand the frustration expressed by the protesters at California ports,” said Danny Wan, executive director of the Port of Oakland. “But prolonged stoppage of port operations in California for any reason will damage all the businesses operating at the ports and cause California ports to further suffer market-share losses to competing ports.”

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-of-oakland-urges-truckers-to-end-ab5-protest

Keep the port shut down until they get and exemption like lawyers, accountants and real estate agents. It is good to see the longshoremen refusing to cross the picket line, “We are working without a contract right now, so we support the owner-operators and understand what they are trying to do,” said George, a nine-year ILWU member, who didn’t want to give his last name. Strange that truck drivers were heroes during the pandemic, now they are being told to shut up, close their businesses and go to work for someone else because the state knows what is best for them and will give them no choice. They need to hold out and keep up the protest until the state yells "uncle".

[PhoenixRisingAgain]

1. Possible overreach?

Hi, I'm new here and I just got done reading the forum rules, and then I see this thread. I'm nervous to be the first commenter because it's hard to tell what the position that is supportive of Newsome is. On the one hand, truckers are the little guy. On the other hand, this is what the democratically elected leaders of a majority Democrat state have decided is best. I think it's possible there may be some overreach here.

[ripcord]

2. Never worry about giving your opinion here even if others don't agree with it

Here is a piece from the Bay Area CBS station that goes into a little more depth.

[msongs]

3. extortion nt

[ripcord]

4. Is that your defintion of picket lines and protests?

[msongs]

5. protest all u want shutting down ports is not protesting. if the truckrs are so miffed let them

work to get the officials who vote against them voted out

[ripcord]

6. Maybe Newsom will send cops in to break up a peaceful labor protest

We haven't seen many strike breakers lately.

[PhoenixRisingAgain]

10. I get your statement, kinda like a joke I guess?

Your post gives voice to the feelings I have about this. I mean, two of my cousins are truckers like their fathers were and Newsom seems like one of our standard bearers after 2020. We have friendlies on both sides. It seems like this is something that should've been considered in committee when they were drafting the law.

[ripcord]

13. I was poking at the poster who called the protests extortion

The law was originally supposed to apply to gig workers but those companies and most other industries managed to get exemptions in different ways. They gave exemptions to white collar contractors but are holding firm on truck drivers because the obviously aren't smart enough to run a business and take care of themselves.

[Bluesaph]

7. We can negotiate. I see their point.

I work for myself and I’ll have it no other way. My husband is a union member. We get our great bennies through him! I see both issues. I think if truckers had a good union like UPS Teamsters they could be incentivized to become employees. OTOH, why can’t they have an exemption and be their own company using agencies for their hauls? I wish we didn’t become our own worst enemies.

[ripcord]

8. Well part of this might be to drive these drivers into the teamsters

It was written by a former teamsters official after all. I noticed the the news video showed there were a lot of immigrants protesting. Imagine coming to this country to experience the American Dream, you get the training and learn the skills to get a class A license, you work to get your own truck and think you have succeeded when you open your own business. Then the state tells you you have to close your business and go to work for someone else, it doesn't matter that you are happy and probably making more money than a company driver you aren't smart enough to know what is best for you so the state needs to force you to do what they think is best for you.

[JT45242]

9. Wasn't the point of the law that as employees -- benefits

I thought this law made companies hire them as employees so they would get insurance, sick leave, etc.

Can someone from California clarify. This seems like an astroturf uprising.

[blogslug]

11. I think it's because some owner-operators prefer things to remain the same

They think AB5 will force them to become employees and they will lose the ability to call their own shots?

[ripcord]

12. The drivers want to run their own businesses

They were happy before the state stepped in, is it that hard to understand? I drove for over 30 years, I know many owner operators and they like being able to choose who they work for, I would see them hauling one companies trailers and then the next month they would be contacted to someone else. These are not lease to own drivers who are tied to one company, they have the option to move on to greener pastures when they choose or just because they are pissed off. Believe it or not even though they are only truck drivers they can do math so they include the price of their benefits, fuel and maintenance into the contracts.