Swanson marches with Port drivers

Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment, recently joined with nearly 1,000 labor leaders, port drivers, environmentalists, clergy and others in a march and rally to draw attention to the plight of California’s port truck drivers, including those working at the Port of Oakland.

“The current system is broken. It is wreaking economic havoc and creating a public health crisis for our workers and local communities,” said Swanson.

The march began at the Oakland Marriott and ended at the Port of Oakland headquarters near Jack London Square.

Also speaking to the crowd were Attorney General Jerry Brown, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Teamsters General President James Hoffa.

Last fall, Swanson convened the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment for two informational hearings — one in Oakland and one in Long Beach — to examine issues affecting port drivers and surrounding communities.

Many drivers testified that under the current system, they operate as independent contractors rather than employees, working for very low pay with little, if any, benefits. As a result, drivers lack the economic resources to buy cleaner, less-polluting trucks that would improve the air quality for surrounding port communities.

Recently, the Port of Los Angeles announced it was moving forward with a comprehensive clean trucks program that would improve air quality of the port trucking industry and also require drivers to serve as employees of trucking companies rather than as independent contractors.

The Port of Oakland is currently in the process of considering a similar proposal, but it is not clear whether the plan will address the employment status of the drivers.

“We need a comprehensive solution that deals with both the issues of pollution and economic injustice,” said Swanson. “This fight is about human dignity on two fronts: for the workers who power the economic engines that are California ports, and for the residents of places like West Oakland who pay for the effects of this problem with their health and their lives
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