West Oakland continues to rally for better jobs, cleaner air at the port

 In April, the Ports of L.A./Long Beach made history and announced a plan to clean up the port trucking industry. The Southern California Ports are requiring an 80% reduction in diesel emissions within five years. Trucking companies will also be required to hire truck drivers as employees instead of independent contractors. This would end the abuse of truckers who currently live in poverty and cannot legally negotiate for higher wages or benefits as "independent contractors."

The Ports of L.A./Long Beach are the largest in the country, setting a standard for the nation. Port of Oakland representatives were recently quoted in the media as saying they wanted to implement a similar plan. Currently, Oakland port truck drivers work an average of 11 hours per day, make as little as $8 an hour, and the vast majority have no healthcare. These drivers are forced to wait in lines an average of two hours to pick up a single container while their engines idle, spewing pollution. This not only impacts the drivers, but also the surrounding West Oakland community where diesel emissions are five times higher than in other parts of Alameda County, and one in five children suffers from asthma. What's worse is that West Oakland gets all of the pollution, but sees few Port industry jobs as there are no local hire programs for trucking companies.  The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports in Oakland is working to address these issues.

Over the coming months, the Port of Oakland may finally take action, and truckers and the West Oakland community hope to see the kind of changes at the Port that they have been seeking for years - cleaner air, quality jobs, and access to those employment opportunities for West Oakland residents. For more information, please contact Doug Bloch at 510-893-716 ext. 24 or dougbloch@changetowin.org.