The city of Los Angeles has filed three lawsuits against several major port trucking companies for allegedly exploiting their workers.
The lawsuits come after a
USA TODAY Network report uncovered that over 1,100 California port truck drivers have filed labor complaints in civil court and with the state labor commissioner since 2008.
During that year, a new California environmental law required trucking companies serving state ports to replace old trucks with new, cleaner rigs. To avoid the additional cost, many companies allegedly goaded their independent drivers into lease-to-own contracts that it has been suggested they could barely understand, let alone afford.
When drivers fell behind on their payments or got sick, trucking companies allegedly fired them, seizing their trucks and the tens of thousands of dollars the drivers paid toward purchasing the vehicles.
In response to these revelations, Los Angeles filed its lawsuits earlier this week, naming CMI Transportation, K&R Transportation, and California Cartage Transportation Express as the defendants.
“This abuse, this disgraceful exploitation has to stop,” city attorney Mike Feuer said at a news conference, calling USA TODAY’s report “scathing” coverage of the industry.
“We’re trying to create systemic change, and we’ll continue to investigate other companies as well,” he added.
“Denying workers fair wages and benefits to pad profit margins is unacceptable,” Los Angeles mayor Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “We will not stand for it in Los Angeles.”
USA TODAY reported that the city’s lawsuits seek penalties, restitution, and prohibition against practices that lead to worker exploitation.
Since the news network began reporting on the driver conditions last spring, 23 new California Labor Commissioner cases and six lawsuits have been filed – including three class-actions – against port trucking companies.
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