Who Will Listen To These Truckers?

[Valin]

Forbes

(The truckers protesting at California ports only seek to continue their independent businesses. Is anyone listening?)

Michael Bernick

Aug 2 2022

 

 

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA - JULY 22, 2022: Clay Burch (Captain of Police at Oakland Police Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The Port of Oakland last week cleared out the truckers that came from throughout the state to protest AB-5— a state law making it more difficult for truck drivers, and other workers, to operate as independent businesses. After threatening truckers with arrest, the Port restricted them to Orwellian-termed “Free Speech Boxes”, constrained spaces out of sight of other workers and visitors.

The protests received none of the political or media support of other area protests. Local media coverage was sparse, and ended soon after the truckers were evicted. The newspapers declined to weigh in with their usual editorial support. The Bay Area mayors, state legislature members, and area elected officials, usually in a rush to appear at any protest, were notably absent.

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At the AB-5 legislative hearings in 2019, truckers showed up in mass to make their case for being allowed to continue as owner operators, but had no success. Enforcement of AB-5 against independent owner-operator truckers was put on hold for a time due to a “preemption” lawsuit filed by the California Trucking Association—arguing that enforcement of AB-5 was preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act. The federal district court granted a preliminary injunction against AB-5 enforcement, but the Ninth Circuit reversed, and finally in late June, the Supreme Court declined to review.

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