February 17, 2005: As part of the IBT effort to organize harbor truckers in California, the union plans to sponsor legislation that would exempt independent drivers from federal antitrust laws. Such an exemption would give these workers the right to collectively negotiate freight rates and withhold services.

The goal remains to remove this workforce from the confines of being considered “independent contractors” and to make the drivers eligible for unionization. Many experts believe the U.S. economy could be crippled by an impending shortage of harbor truck drivers if serious efforts aren’t made to improve working conditions, wages and benefits.