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Truck drivers sue LA-LB terminals alleging collusion with Teamsters

SIX Los Angeles-Long Beach container terminals or their affiliates are being sued by more than two dozen owner-operator truck drivers who are alleging that they were blocked from entering the facilities during Teamsters demonstrations in the harbour this summer in order to ensure peace with the union.

According to a suit filed with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, the Teamsters were alleged to have told the terminal operators that if they denied access to the 31 owner-operators who opposed Teamsters' efforts to unionise drayage drivers, the union would agree not to picket those marine terminals.

The terminals allegedly allowed pro-unionisation drivers from the same two or three trucking companies to access the facilities while blocking access to the drivers who didn't want to be unionised.

"Plaintiffs are informed and believe that the Teamsters together with the defendant terminals conspired and continue to conspire to destroy the businesses of the plaintiff owner-operator drivers who for periods of up to three days were denied access to defendants' terminals and therefore were denied his/her constitutional rights to earn a living," the lawsuit stated.

The suit asks the court to assess a civil penalty of US$2,500 against each terminal, an additional civil penalty for conspiracy against trade of $1 million against each terminal, and not less than $120,000 for economic and non-economic damages, according to IHS Media.

The suit also seeks an order preventing the terminals from committing further acts of unfair competition. The complaint identified about 500 container moves the owner-operators were denied during the Teamsters' job actions that took place in Los Angeles-Long Beach from June through October.

Fred Potter, vice president of Teamsters, released the following statement, "We haven't seen the lawsuit but understand it alleges collusion between the Teamsters and terminal operators. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"These legal actions prove the will of drivers to be independent contractors is strong," said Weston LaBar, executive director of the Harbour Trucking Association, which represents about 100 drayage companies in Southern California.

"These guys want to have their rights to work as independent contractors and to not be forced into a unionized employee role," he said.

Marine terminal operators are caught up in the struggle involving trucking companies, the Teamsters, those drivers who want to be unionised, and those who want to remain independent.

The terminal operators say they are innocent third-party victims of a labour dispute that involves the Teamsters, trucking companies, and drivers, none of whom the terminals employ or have contracts with.