Power at the Ports: Truckers Force Showdowns in Seattle, Los Angeles

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.alternet.org/story/154177/power_at_the_ports_truckers_force_showdowns_in_seattle_los_angeles?page=entire

February 17, 2012

On December 12, as Occupy activists were preparing to shut down ports across the West Coast, five port truck drivers wrote them a letter. The drivers, elected by committees of their co-workers at seven ports, declined to take a stance on that week’s controversy: whether dock workers and their unions should join the attempted shutdowns. But they praised the Occupy movement's vision and leadership, and asked for its help in publicizing their own terrible working conditions. And the port truckers made a promise; that they and their co-workers would “organize ourselves and do what is needed to win dignity, respect, and justice.”

Two months later, one group of port workers has filed for a rare union election, backed by international solidarity. Another just ended a two-week strike that brought the Port of Seattle to a near standstill.

Both efforts are backed by the Teamsters, the Change to Win labor federation and the labor-environmentalist coalition Clean and Safe Ports. “We decided enough is enough,” says Port of Seattle driver Demeke Meconnen. “It’s about time. That’s it. We’re tired.”

I needed some good news today. Go port truckers!

[annabanana]

1. When Unions and OWS work together

nothing can withstand the power.

[Starry Messenger]

2. Yes to that!

I love stories like this.

[socialist_n_TN]

3. This IS good news..........

I really believe that we're creeping closer to international solidarity in these matters. Not to mention "sympathy" actions, in spite of their illegality under Taft-Hartley. I could easily see a one day action with the ILWU, the Teamsters, and these misclassified "independent operators" happening. And maybe even add in the unionized workers in Australia to the mix. I don't think that the company could resist that much of a united and international action.

And although not a trucker, I've personally faced this "misclassification" problem for the last 5 years now. But since I'm a union of one (me) I've got to negotiate it when I feel like I have a good chance to win.

[Starry Messenger]

4. My partner worked as an independent contractor too, for many years.

Not a trucker either. It's like the company just dreams up new ways everyday to charge the "contractor" for some other service they really should be providing themselves to make the job actually function.

[socialist_n_TN]

5. My biggest problem is with taxes.........

Not only has my income dropped by two-thirds in the last five years, along with several bouts of actual unemployment, but I have NO tax deductions. That's the main reason I think I'm misclassified. I go into an office every day that's close to my house (no mileage deduction). I use the materials and hardware provided by the company (no deductions there) and they won't put me on W-2 because it'll cost an extra $200 a month. Things are going pretty well right now though, so I'm going to reopen negotiations on that score pretty soon. But I want to be able to show a MASSIVE influx of new money into the company because of my efforts. That's coming because the pipeline is stuffed full, but the main payoff hasn't arrived yet.

But the whole situation over the last five years means that every year I owe a BOATLOAD of taxes. It's got me into a bind that I can't seem to get out of UNLESS I get correctly classified.

[Starry Messenger]

6. Holy crap!

((vibes)) for you. I hope your new negotiations go well. I'll keep fingers crossed for you.

[white_wolf]

7. You want to hear a bullshit story about "contracting"

Years ago back when my dad was a traveling salesman for a company called Paco, he was technically a contractor and after working at least a 40 hour week(my mom insists it was longer) of being on the road driving from TN through North and South Carolina, they sent him a bill saying he owed them money for various expenses such as samples, pins, etc. Basically the stuff he needed to sell their product.

[socialist_n_TN]

9. I don't doubt that at all. Companies are ONLY about.........

the bottom line. That's it. And the bigger they get, the more this rule holds true. When I was a Boilermaker Shop Steward back in the day, I saw where the company would LITERALLY put your life in LITERAL danger for profit. So your Dad's story doesn't surprise me.

[white_wolf]

10. You aren't in a union anymore?

Did something happen? I could have sworn you mentioned your current job was unionized, but maybe I'm mistaken about that. Either way, best of luck to you.

[socialist_n_TN]

11. Nope. In fact the last union I was in was the .........

American Federation of Musicians back in the 90s. Since then all the companies I've worked at have been non union, true small businesses. Now I DID work for a few months this past summer FOR a union, doing fund raising for the Firefighters union here in Middle Tennessee, but (irony of ironies the fundraisers were NOT organized.

If I had stayed there, I would have probably tried to organize something (I was already discreetly talking it up), but I picked up this current job which pays more and is closer to the house and left the fundraising job.

[ellisonz]

8. When workers unionize, America wins...

[TBF]

12. That's for sure -

I think even the folks who have bought into the anti-union propaganda they hear in the MSM have started to realize that so many new jobs being created are in service, and they are lucky if they get minimum wage (and even that is being threatened in many areas as well).

[ellisonz]

13. I was a 1099 contractor...

...for a few months. I couldn't break even really delivering legal documents. I quit/they fired me when I complained.