Most of the problems affecting the port workers today stem from the corporate imperatives that are as follows:
- Negotiate low wages and maintain the cost of labor as a way of keeping the costs as low as possible.
- Undermine unions so as to reduce bargaining power of unions.
- Prevent laws that would prevent worker misclassification, wage theft, and job loss due to the advancement of automation technology.
This they achieve through lobbying, legal technicalities and often a very confrontational approach towards unions.
Corporate Lobbying and Anti-Worker Legislation
Shippers and trucking carriers pour money into lobbying Congress and state legislatures for laws that only serve to enhance the business of these companies to the detriment of employees. Some of the strategies include:
- Fighting for the possibility of passing new legislation that is less favorable to employees and their right to join a union.
- Campaigning against the worker classification reforms that would require companies to change the status of port truck drivers from contractors to employees.
- Supporting tax-privileges and de-regulations, lowering the corporations’ responsibility for workers’ rights.
For instance, while in California, AB5 was approved with the aim of preventing the misclassification of workers especially the truck drivers; corporate-backed lawsuits and lobbying have hindered the enactment of the law, thus exposed thousands of workers to exploitation.
Union-Busting and Retaliation Against Workers
In many shipping and trucking companies, there are efforts to prevent the formation of trade unions by applying anti-union strategies.These include:
- Hiring consultants to discourage union membership.
- Threatening or firing workers who attempt to unionize.
- Spreading misinformation about unions to create fear among workers.
Some companies have closed down their operations to avoid any bargaining by the unions in particular. This has been applied in a manner that seeks to force the workers to sign for unfavorable contracts or end unionization attempts.