Last October,
I wrote about a push to make LA-area ports more environmentally and worker friendly. By forcing shippers to purchase newer and more gas-efficient trucks, southern California environmentalists were hoping to clean up the smog produced from shipping goods shipped in from overseas. At the same time, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is pushing to make each of the truck drivers employees of the ports and shipping companies, rather than independent contractors (who receive no benefits, no workman's compensation, and are not eligible to unionize). It looks like the
good guys are winning, because the LA Harbor Commission unanimously approved this blue-green plan to improve shipping conditions. This is great news for community activists, labor folks, and people who want to pass on a nicer planet to their kids. LA's mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told a crowd of 300 truckers that "When 1,200 lives are cut short every year by a barrage of diseases,
ranging from emphysema to cancer of the mouth, we have a moral
obligation to act fast."
Opponents of the plan include the Port of Long Beach, CA, and the American Trucking Association decried the improvements as "scheme to unionize port drivers." They've also vowed to sue if the plan ever goes through.
You can find out more about this worthy cause at the
Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports homepage.
By the way, c
ongratulations to the Hardin County EA strikers on their settlements. Their solidarity paid off, and they have prevailed in their cause to secure a fair and just contract.