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Truckers and warehouse workers to begin LA, Long Beach port strikes
File: Cargo ships are loaded at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016.
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Maya Sugarman/KPCC
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Starting Monday, a group of truck drivers and warehouse workers are going on strike at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach.
The drivers and warehouse workers are protesting wages. In addition, the local Teamsters union claims port companies have misclassified drivers as independent contractors.
"The law has said that they are employees, but these companies continue to break the law," said Eric Tate with the local Teamsters union. "So we're telling the mayor of Los Angeles and Long Beach that they need to stop allowing these law-breaking companies to enter the port until they start operating legally."
The union also claims the independent contractor status has meant truckers pick up some of the cost for the recent initiatives for greener operations at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach.
KPCC has reached out to both mayors, as well as representatives for the trucking companies.
So far, only Eric Garcetti's office has replied with a statement:
Sustainability and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive, and the mayor is committed to making sure that our truckers are not burdened unfairly with the costs of meeting these goals.
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