* California - L.A. County Supervisors to consider proposal to aid port truck drivers
-- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to consider a number of actions to help truck drivers who work at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach they believe have been misclassified as independent contractors and as result have lost wages... Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a motion requiring county staff to report to the board in 60 days on program that would: Conduct outreach and workshops for truck drivers and employers; allow the county Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to conduct investigations of complaints and give advice to workers who are filing complaints; explore implementing a policy that would prohibit the county from entering into contracts with companies that have had wage law violations; and support state legislation that addresses the issue... The majority of the 16,000 truck drivers who service both ports are classified as independent contractors rather than employees and do not qualify for minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment benefits or workers compensation, according to a report by Brian J. Stiger, director of the county’s Department of Business and Consumer Affairs. Trucking companies also can deduct business expenses from the drivers pay, such as fuel and maintenance costs... By example: Daniel Linares, a driver for Pac 9 Transportation, testified Tuesday that he had a gross income of $1,345, but after deductions taken by the company, he took home only $438. “Can you imagine working like this hauling valuable cargo?” he said... The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement ruled last year that Linares was misclassified as a independent contractor, he said...
(Photo: San Pedro Bay, Los Angeles Port) -- Los Angeles, CAL, USA - The Los Angeles Daily News, by Sarah Favot - 19 May 2015
Labels: independent port truckers debate, truckers complaints
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