Matt pointed to this story yesterday, and I have to second how important the big win in the Port of Los Angeles was last week. (In fact, I have an article about it in the next issue of In These Times). But the coalition that came together to force a comprehensive overhaul at the largest port of in the country is certainly big news for the future of progressive coalition-building.
The short version of the story is that in 1980, Jimmy Carter signed the Motor Carrier Act and deregulated the trucking industry, turning drivers into independent contractors. Truckers became responsible for maintenance, route planning and parking, which has been hard on truckers, who average an annual salary of $30,000. So most drive old, polluting diesel rigs, which has trashed the air around the Los Angeles Port, not to mention every other port in the country. California has set a goal of cutting diesel pollution in the state 85 percent by 2020, and the trucks at the port are some of the first targets for action. The problem is, few of the drivers can afford to buy new trucks, which cost upwards of $125,000.
The issue brought together groups as disparate as the Teamsters, the National Resources Defense Council and the American Lung Association under the umbrella of the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, to force a change in the trucking system. Under the new system, drivers will now be employees of the trucking companies, which will be responsible for getting them new trucks and taking care of those trucks. Drivers will get better wages, benefits, and the right to unionize. Community members get the clean air they've been pushing for over the past 20 years. It truly is an example of the good guys winning, and winning because they were able to merge interests. It's also a strong precedent for all the other ports in the country.
--Kate Sheppard
