California wins case against trucker

California wins case against trucker    California’s Attorney General said he had won a fifth legal judgment against a port drayage company.
   Attorney General Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. said the case was part of an “ongoing investigation of the state’s underground economy.”
   He said he was pursuing trucking companies operating at California ports that deny workers “the Social Security, Medicare and workers’ compensation benefits to which they are entitled under state law.”
   Brown said that last month, the Los Angeles Superior Court found that Pacifica Trucks, a Southern California fleet operator, misclassified its drivers as independent contractors. The company failed to pay state employment-related taxes, contribute to Social Security and Medicare and provide W-2 forms to its employees.
   “We’re sending a clear message that if you cheat your workers, we’re coming after you,” Brown said. “Pacifica Trucks claimed that its workers were independent contractors in order to avoid paying the Social Security, Medicare and workers’ compensation benefits to which they are entitled under state law. This judgment validates our continuing effort to ensure that all employees are protected.”
   Brown said he had previously won lawsuits against the following trucking companies for similar violations:
   ' Guasimal Trucking.
   ' Jose Maria Lira Trucking.
   ' Esdmundo Lira Trucking.
   ' Noel and Emma Moreno Trucking.
   Brown’s announcement and links to the complaint and judgment against Pacifica are available here.