Teamsters Port Division statement on LA Port terminal shutdown in support of striking drivers

Ron Herrera, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Port Division Director and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President, and Eric Tate, IBT Port Division Deputy Director, released the following statement after a worker solidarity action in support of Port truck drivers on strike at Universal Logistics Holdings (ULH) affiliates Universal Intermodal Services and Southern Counties Express. Together, the Teamsters and ILWU Local 63 effectively shut down one of the seven major terminals at the Port of Los Angeles, stopping any incoming or outgoing traffic. 

“Today is a new day at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Together with working people from across Southern California, we are saying with one voice that the days when port officials and trucking companies could trample on our rights without consequence are over — for good.

We showed today that there is power in our union and in our solidarity as working people. We are enormously grateful that our brothers and sisters from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Mobile Workers Alliance, SEIU 721 and ILWU Local 13 joined us today to support port truck drivers on strike to demand their union and their basic rights as employees. Today’s solidarity action delivered a message across our state and our nation that no corporation, no matter how big or how wealthy, can match the power of the people.”