(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following on April 27.)
WASHINGTON — Thousands of Teamsters, port drivers, workers, community officials and union leaders rallied today at ports in Los Angeles, Oakland, Houston and Miami as part of Change to Win’s weeklong “Make Work Pay!” campaign, a new effort to ensure that hard work is rewarded with decent wages, affordable health care and a chance for a better future.
“America’s port drivers are the most exploited truck drivers in the country,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Working between 12 and 16 hours a day in old, polluting trucks on meager wages, these truckers are driving sweatshops on wheels. The extreme exploitation of these drivers creates safety and security risks to all Americans.”
The low-road trucking companies pay no federal Social Security and Medicare taxes, state workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance. They spurn industry standards for credentials, licensing and insurance, hiding behind the myth that their drivers are “independent contractors.”
“If Congress forces the industry to clean up its act, we will have a workforce on our frontlines that can pass background checks. A workforce that will be trained, efficient and productive. A workforce that will be the eyes and ears of our ports—one that will make America more secure,” Hoffa said.
Speaking at the Teamsters port rally in Los Angeles, Change to Win Federation President Anna Burger said, “I’m here to put unscrupulous employers in all industries on notice that this is just the beginning. Change to Win stands committed to uniting the 50 million workers who have been left behind in today’s economy and giving them a fighting chance at achieving the American Dream.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.