Drivers, warehouse workers end ‘strike’ against four firms

Drayage drivers for XPO Logistics, Intermodal Bridge Transport (IBT) and Gold Point in Los Angeles and Long Beach, and Cal Cartage warehouse workers have ended their strike, but protests at Pacific 9 Transportation continue into their 16th week.    Drayage drivers in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach from XPO Logistics, Intermodal Bridge Transport (IBT), and Gold Point Transportation ended a strike on Oct. 30, but drivers from Pacific 9 Transportation are continuing their strike indefinitely, according to a statement from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
   The drivers from Pac 9 have been on strike for 16 weeks, but the drivers from the other companies were on strike for just a few days.
   Amazon warehouse workers employed by Wilmington-based California Cartage also ended their strike with the support of the Teamsters.
   Last week, the Harbor Trucking Association complained of “illegal labor activity,” saying some pickets were blocking access to marine terminals and that truckers targeted in the protests were being locked out of terminals.
   The return to work came after the Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution (11-0, with 4 members absent) Friday to “reiterate support for all of the workers at the Port of Los Angeles, and call on all companies who conduct business at the Port of Los Angeles to comply with federal and state employment and labor laws and provide them with the same wage and benefits protection afforded to all employees in our City.”
   The Teamsters said, “Friday morning, 14 new drivers filed ‘wage and hour’ claims valued at $3.5 million with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE),” where it said there are currently 705 similar claims pending.
   Weston LaBar, a spokesman for the HTA, said, “I think the protest ran its course. Normally these are only for defined period of time.”
   “HTA supports the freedom of companies to choose the labor model of their choice, and for drivers to choose the company with model that best fits them,” added LaBar. “The fact remains that the majority of driver still prefer to be independent contractors and we support their rights to make that choice.”