Business

Port of Oakland cargo operations shut down due to trucker AB5 protests

July 20, 2022 / 8:35 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

Independent truckers protest at Port of Oakland over worries about AB5

OAKLAND – Officials at the Port of Oakland said operations have been shut down due to ongoing protests by independent truckers over AB5, which may soon take effect.

The port said in a statement Wednesday that the shutdown will further exacerbate the congestion of containers at the port.

"We understand the frustration expressed by the protestors at California ports," said Danny Wan, the port's executive director. "But, prolonged stoppage of port operations in California for any reason will damage all the businesses operating at the ports and cause California ports to further suffer market share losses to competing ports."

Owner-operator truck drivers, who make up 90% of the Port's operation, have been protesting outside the port since Monday over the law, which requires trucking companies make their drivers employees.

Protesters block a truck from entering the Port of Oakland in Oakland, California, US, on Monday, July 18, 2022. Truckers servicing some of the US's busiest ports are staging protests as state-level labor rules that change their employment status begin to go into effect, creating another choke point in stressed US supply chains. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"If the port got affected, the government will listen and they will have to," trucker Sandeep Singh told KPIX 5 on Monday. "That is what we are actually doing. And we will try to continue until we get it."

The measure has the backing of unions who are seeking to unionize the truckers.

"The greedy trucking companies are denying drivers that basic human right of forming a union, if they want to, by misclassifying them as non-employees," Jason Rabinowitz, President of the Teamsters' Joint Council 7 told KPIX 5. "That's not right. Every worker, every driver deserves the right to have a union and all the benefits that come with that."

Implementation of AB5 on the truckers has been on hold due to ongoing legal challenges. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case on AB5, paving the way for the law to be implemented.

"We trust that implementation of AB5 can be accomplished in a way that accommodates the needs of this vital part of the supply chain," Wan went on to say.

Meanwhile, the truckers are reportedly looking to extend their protest at the port. According to The Wall Street Journal, the truckers said they are prepared to block the port until Gov. Gavin Newsom listens to their concerns.