Protests By Truckers Continue in California
espite a tentative agreement earlier in the week aimed at ending a dispute between independent truckers in California and the Port of Oakland, about 300 truckers are refusing to haul goods at the nation's fourth busiest port, the Associated Press reported.
Port spokeswoman Marilyn Sandifur told AP only about 25% percent of the number of trucks that normally operate at the port were running Wednesday, but that was an improvement over previous days.
In a related story, some Virginia port truckers in Hampton Roads are trying to organize a shut down Thursday and Friday to protest fuel prices, low pay, delays at port terminals and construction-related traffic congestion around Portsmouth Marine Terminal, the Virginian-Pilot reported.
But many truckers said that they would not return to work until the trucking companies agreed to boost rates paid for their services. They are seeking a 30% rate hike and a fuel surcharge to compensate for rising diesel costs, news services said.
The truckers had staged informal protests at several ports and railyards since Friday, intimidating and sometimes blocking other drivers from making deliveries.
The strike has started to hinder commerce in Northern California, the Sacramento Bee reported.
The Blue Diamond Growers said its almond exports from Oakland - which normally totals $2.5 million a day - had stopped, while the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant said it was on the verge of shutting down over a lack of key parts from Asia.
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