Port of Oakland town hall meeting draws 300 participants

On Saturday, March 17th, the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports, a coalition of labor, environmental, community, and faith groups, held a Town Hall Meeting on the growing trucking crisis at the Port of Oakland. Held in the West Oakland community which is adjacent to the Port, the forum drew 300 participants who voiced concerns over the extensive diesel pollution, sweatshop conditions for drivers, and lack of jobs for surrounding West Oakland residents.
 
Port truckers testified to poverty wages, lack of health care, 10-14 hour workdays, and abuse at work. Community residents and environmental leaders addressed the fact that diesel fumes are contributing to West Oakland having the highest asthma hospitalization rate in California, with 20% of K-12 children suffering from the disease. Many participants, including Oakland Assemblyman, Sandré Swanson, spoke about how the Port needs to establish standards for the trucking industry, ensure that trucking jobs are quality jobs, and then make sure those jobs benefit Oakland residents, especially those in neighborhoods surrounding the Port.  

The Port’s Executive Director, Omar Benjamin, and other senior Port officials were also in attendance. Town Hall participants urged Benjamin to use the Port’s status as landlord to establish oversight, and create labor, local hire, and environmental standards for trucking companies operating on Port property as is done in other Port industries. Though Benjamin fell short of adopting such a measure, he committed to work with the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports and members of the community to find a solution to the environmental and jobs issues plaguing the trucking industry and the West Oakland area.

For more information, please contact Zachary Goldman, zach.goldman@changetowin.org.