‘NO TO AB5’: Hundreds of California port truckers protest labor law

 Below may be useful. But first, an explanation as to impact of AB5 on California port trucking costs: Under US  competition law, independent business (such as independent contractors) cannot form or join unions; but  employees can be organized into unions. Thus, the Teamsters have been pressing for years to get CA to force drivers  to be employees of trucking companies, and not hired as independent contractors. AB5 accomplishes this. Lyft and  Uber spent millions to have their drivers exempted from AB5. The trucking associations challenged AB5, but the US  Supreme Court chose not to prevent AB5 from being implemented. Big victory for Teamsters. Independent  contractors will either become employees, or some will retire, or some trucking companies will become trucking  brokers in order to work around the ban on directly hiring these independent contractors. Bottom line: trucking  becomes more expensive in CA. 

We have been informed that several strikes are taking place today at both LA and LB Ports in protest of AB5. Strikers  have shut down the Vincent Thomas Bridge and are currently protesting at Yusen, Total and WBCT Terminals. 

There are approximately 35-protestors at the front gate of TTI. Long Beach Harbor Patrol and Long Beach Police are  on scene monitoring to ensure safety of the protestors and maintain an emergency thru-lane. The security division  management team is continuing to monitor and is in communication with the TTI management team. 

Traffic Impacts 

A convoy of approximately 500-600 trucks left the westbound Vincent Thomas Bridge and is conducting a “slow-roll”  northbound 110 to southbound 405 to southbound 710 freeway. Currently the convoy is at the southbound 710 at  Willow. CHP is traveling with the caravan to ensure safety. There is currently backup on the NB 710. Port of Long Beach Impacts