Rebellious truckers blocked the port in California

Truckers’ complaints about the passage of the AB5 law escalated into a strike in the port of Oakland.

Hundreds of independent truckers took part in the action. The protesters declared a boycott and blocked the import and export of goods from the terminals at the port.

Truck drivers are protesting Assembly Law No. 5, passed in 2019, which made it harder for companies to classify employees as independent contractors rather than employees. The latter, in turn, are entitled to the minimum wage and benefits such as workers’ compensation, overtime and sick pay.

Last year, a federal appeals court ruled that the law covers about 70000 truck drivers who could be classified as employees of companies that hire them instead of independent contractors.

The California Trucking Association is suing the law, arguing that the law could make life harder for independent drivers who own their own trucks and work after hours by forcing them to be listed as employees.

The lawsuits stalled the implementation of the law, but last month the US Supreme Court said it would not review the decision.

Meanwhile, there was no word on when the state could start enforcing the law, which is still being contested in lower courts.

“We understand the frustration expressed by protesters at California ports,” Port of Oakland Chief Executive Danny Wang said in a statement from the port. “But a prolonged shutdown of port operations in California, for any reason, will harm all businesses operating in ports and cause California ports to lose market share even more compared to other ports.”

It is not yet known when the protest may end, but it is clearly exacerbating supply chain problems that have already led to the accumulation of cargo ships in major ports and the accumulation of goods on the pier.