Trucker protest shuts down operations at California port

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - Truckers in California protesting a state labor law have effectively shut down cargo operations at the port of Oakland.

The protest that began Monday involves hundreds of independent big-rig truckers that have blocked the movement of cargo in and out of terminals at the port, which is one of the 10 busiest container ports in the country.

The truckers are protesting Assembly Bill 5, which is a gig economy law passed in 2019 that made it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees, who are entitled to minimum wage and benefits, such as workers compensation and overtime.

The California Trucking Association - which has sued over the 2019 law - argue the law could make it harder for independent drivers who own their own trucks and operate on their own hours to make a living, by forcing them to be classified as employees.