A truck driver planned to launch a strike Tuesday afternoon following what he claimed was his illegal firing last week from a Chinese port trucking company that ships cargo on and off the Los Angeles-Long Beach Port Complex.
According to the Justice for Port Truck Drivers group, Eddie Osoy—the sole provider for his wife and three children—was fired by Intermodal Bridge Transport, a subsidiary of the Chinese government-owned COSCO Group after he and his co-workers filed two class action lawsuits involving wage theft and misclassification.
Osoy and his family planned to lead a delegation comprised of coworkers into the company at 4:00PM Tuesday, located in Wilmington, announcing their intent to go on strike to protest his illegal dismissal, specifically relating to the unfair labor practice charges Tuesday against the company by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Osoy’s behalf, according to the group’s release.
The Teamsters claimed the company fired Osoy, a lead union activist, in retaliation to his union activities and for providing testimony to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which charged that misclassification is a violation of the National Labor Relations Ac. They also allege the company harassed and humiliated Osoy by having security guards escort him in retaliation to his union activities. In addition, the union group said the company threatened to fire pro-union drivers and to close the company rather than accept unionization, in addition to alleging directed pro-union employees to leave the company, according to the release.
“The company has persistently retaliated against drivers for standing up for their rights, resulting in the April 2016 merit determination by Region 21 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that IBT has misclassified its workers as ‘independent contractors’,” the release stated.
The NLRB’s charge is scheduled to be heard by a judge at a hearing on July 18. This is the 13th strike in two years at the port complex, organizers stated.
Back in October a former driver filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against IBT stating the company allegedly terminated him for raising workplace concerns including unlawful misclassification, according to the release. The case remains pending.
An IBT representative could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Above, left: file photo.