U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Deputy Secretary Julie Su held a roundtable discussion at the Port of Los Angeles Tuesday on the benefits of collective bargaining between truck drivers and employers.
Walsh and Su joined truck drivers Jorge Mayorga and Todd Ellis; representatives of Universal Trucking, Sea-Logix, TTSI/Heavy Load Transfer, and Pacific 9 Trucking; members and officers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Local 848; and officials for the port.
Roundtable participants discussed collective bargaining’s relationship to improved pay, benefits, training, and job stability. Some truck drivers are owner-operators, the participants noted and covered by the collective bargaining agreement. However, representatives of the companies said there are competitive challenges that come with the industry that has rampant misclassification of drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. They said there is a need for strong enforcement to ensure a level playing field.
Participants also said training investments, including apprenticeship programs, are an important part of the shipping supply chain and that the Port of Los Angeles continues to pursue efforts to develop a state-of-the-art training facility that would include some of the promised models discussed at the roundtable.
“The Labor Department appreciates the efforts these companies, workers, and union have made to improve job quality and security for Port of Los Angeles truck drivers,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Through partnership and shared values, we can create better jobs and more stability in our supply chain.”