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UPDATE | Long Beach and Los Angeles Port truck drivers have continued the strike on four shipping companies that began Monday, with minimal impact on Port operations.
Port of Long Beach Director of Communications Michael Gold said he hasn’t seen any differences in the day-to-day Port workload and shipping speed, noting that a small percentage of truck drivers are picketing out of the thousands that have continued a normal work schedule.
“There are quite a few companies, and not a large percentage of [total] company workers are picketing,” Gold said. “Quite a few aren’t associated with the Teamsters.”
A second press release issued Tuesday morning by the Teamsters noted an increase in picketers at the Intermodal Bridge Transport (IBT) company yards. IBT is currently the subject of two class action lawsuits regarding employee misclassification, according to the release.
Barb Maynard, a representative of the truck drivers, said the number of picketers for IBT started “around 25 and is now around 50,” noting “incredible momentum around this company.”
Weston LaBar of Long Beach-based PEAR Strategies and Executive Director of the Harbor Trucking Association said member companies had reported “minimal impacts as a result of yesterday’s activities.”
“I cannot speak to any specific retailers who have been affected,” LaBar said. “However, these impacts, be it perceived or actual, are the same impacts we as an association warned against prior to the labor picketing. Our ports are still recovering from a major congestion crisis, which was compounded by labor unrest and they are doing a commendable job working towards a more reliable and consistent flow of cargo.”
Gold said the demonstrations have been notable for their peacefulness and have not been overwhelmingly obtrusive.
“People have been able to access terminals,” he said. “With the cargo, we still haven’t seen any significant issues.”
PREVIOUSLY: Port Truck Drivers Say Strike Disrupts Shipments to Retail Chains
04/28/15 11:39AM | The Los Angeles/Long Beach Port truck driver strike that began Monday has reportedly disrupted shipments to major retail chains and is continuing for a second day.
In addition to the truck drivers and their supporters picketing, numerous terminal operators were barring the picketed companies from loading and unloading cargo.
According to a Teamsters’ press release issued Monday morning, the Port disruption, assisted by the terminal operators, has affected the delivery of cargo to retail chains that include Walmart, Toyota, Costco, Target, CVS, Family Dollar, Forever 21, Louis Vuitton and Macy’s.
The Teamsters said similar efforts to picket and bar loading at the shipping company terminals would continue Tuesday.
The picketed shipping companies include Intermodal Bridge Transport (IBT), Pacific 9 Transportation (Pac 9), Pacer Cartage, and Harbor Rail Transport (HRT).