A group of truckers continued to halt cargo traffic at the Port of Oakland on Wednesday deepening concerns over major supply chain disruptions at one of the country’s largest ports and a key hub for global commerce.
The protest entered its third day on Wednesday after escalating to a near complete shutdown of port activity the day before. A growing chorus of protesters say they plan to continue halting cargo movement throughout the week although the loose coalition of truckers has yet to reach a final decision.
At the heart of the protest is the 2019 California law AB 5, which will require about 70,000 currently independent owner-operators to register as employees of trucking and other companies. Many small business owners and independent truckers say the law could force them to shut down their operations. However, worker’s rights groups say the trucking industry is in desperate need of employee protections.
