The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
July 10, 2014

Truck Drivers Strike at California Ports in Rare Open-Ended Action 
-------------------------------------------------------------------


 
Dozens of independent truck drivers have gone on strike this week at the
ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The workers are protesting three
large firms for classifying them as independent contractors instead of
as employees. Workers say this has allowed the companies to impose long
hours for low pay, dock paychecks for expenses, and avoid offering
workplace protections. The two ports handle nearly half of all U.S.
cargo. The workers have vowed to stay off the job for as long as it
takes, making it one of the few open-ended U.S. strikes in recent years.
On Wednesday, the guitarist Tom Morello of the group Rage Against the
Machine joined the striking workers on the picket line to perform a few
songs.

 

.