New photos show the growing number of ships waiting offshore as a trucker strike disrupts operations at the Port of Oakland in California.
The largest marine terminal at the Port of Oakland was closed on Thursday, while the three other marine terminals on the property had some on-ship labor underway, port spokesman Robert Bernardo said.
At least 15 ships are waiting offshore for a berth, officials said. KCBS Radio reported that the port closure could delay some Amazon deliveries.
The Port of Oakland is a key hub for California's $20 billion-plus agriculture exports, which include almonds, rice and wine, and receives imports from across Asia and Australia. The eighth-busiest U.S. container seaport was already working to clear a pandemic-fueled cargo backup before the trucker protests began. Big-rig truckers are blocking terminal gates and preventing truckers from entering the port in protest against a new state labor law that makes it harder for independent drivers to operate.
The protesters worry that the imminent law, which cracks down on 'gig workers' in an effort to push more of them into full-time employment and unions, will impose hefty costs on them that will slash their earnings.
The truckers are demanding to meet with Governor Gavin Newsom to discuss the law, formally known as Assembly Bill 5, which could soon go into effect. 'It may go on for a few more weeks or a few more months,' one of the protest organizers, Gary Schergill, told the Wall Street Journal. 'We'd like to have a sit-down.'
A spokesperson for Newsom said in a statement: 'The state will continue to partner with truckers and the ports to ensure the continued movement of goods to California’s residents and businesses, which is critical to all of us.' 'Although it has been the subject of litigation, AB 5 was enacted in 2019, so no one should be caught by surprise by the law’s requirements at this time,' the statement added.
The blockade is exacerbating supply-chain issues that already have led to cargo ship traffic jams at major ports and stockpiled goods on the dock in the past year, an issue that has contributed to soaring inflation.
The protest comes as toymakers and other industries enter their peak season for imports, as retailers stockpile goods for the fall holidays and back-to-school items. Originally intended to last a few days, the protests in Oakland began on Monday and have grown larger and more disruptive with each passing day.
Drivers have picketed gates and blocked other truckers from hauling cargo in and out of the port. Unionized dockworkers, who support the new law, have nevertheless refused to cross picket lines, citing concerns about health and safety.
The protest has already created significant disruptions at the port, which is an import hub for a wide range of goods, including Australian wine and meat, and electronics, furniture and clothing from China, Japan and South Korea.
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I will always side with the truckers.
ReplyDeleteJoining a union should be like voting for a democrat.....it should never happen...."Union.....for when it absolutely has to brought on over budget and out of time"....
ReplyDeleteUnions have destroyed every Dem state. Juss' sayin'...
ReplyDelete