The Middle Class is under Attack. Defend the Middle Class: Vote for Democrats. Jerry Ashton BREAKING: Truckers Hauling for Wal-Mart & Forever 21 Plan Surprise Strike Today This is labor’s latest challenge to a low-wage economy and a legal system that excludes huge swathes of the workforce, hundreds of non-union Port of Los Angeles truck drivers plan to stage surprise strikes against three companies Monday. While “working for yourself” sometimes gets touted as a twenty-first century American Dream, many port truckers allege they get all the hassles and limitations of employment, but few of the otherwise-promised protections. “Like employees, they tell us where to go – we can’t negotiate on many things,” said Galindo. But “we pay for gas, tires, maintenance” out of pocket, “even though the truck is not ours.” Lacking minimum-wage protection, he added, “Sometimes I can be stuck at the ports for three or four hours” waiting in line, “and the company doesn’t pay us for the time.” Galindo told Salon that after he ripped a shoulder tendon while working on the landing gears of his truck, his disability payments were cut off early because the company told the government he was a contractor. “We’re seeing all sorts of businesses designing new structures of work,” Rebecca Smith, the deputy director of the pro-union National Employment Law Project, told Salon Friday. “And many of these structures – and independent contractor misclassification is prime among them – separate workers from their labor rights, from their basic workplace benefits that are guaranteed.” That trend “really is turning the workplace into a place where people can’t support their families,” said Smith, and “transforming us into a nation of low-wage workers.” salon/2013/11/18/breaking_truckers_who_haul_for_wal_mart_and_forever_21_plan_surprise_strikes_today/
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 09:40:43 +0000
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