Cargo Business Newswire

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Port of L.A.-Long Beach truckers say they were fired for filing wage claims

Truck drivers who haul goods to and from container terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach said they were fired by trucking company Total Transportation Services this week after refusing to withdraw their wage claims against the company.

At least 33 truck drivers allege that they were let go by Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI) after they engaged in strikes and maintained their wage claims with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).

A TTSI representative said the company did not fire or terminate anyone.

"Some owner operators decided not to renew their contracts with the company and those contracts have now expired," said Alex Cherin, a representative for the company. "A vast majority of the owner operators—including some with pending claims—chose to renew their agreements with TTSI."

At least 29 of the 33 drivers who say they were let go have pending DLSE claims totaling roughly $4.8 million in back pay and damages. The other four drivers were each awarded an average of $68,211 in back pay last week after the DLSE ruled that the company had misclassified employees as "independent contractors."

Drivers said when they met with TTSI on Sept. 2, they were told at first that they did not have to drop their wage claims. Some were allowed to sign new lease agreements and returned to work. But not all drivers received the same deal.

"While we were waiting, the company changed their mind and told us that if we didn’t withdraw our DLSE claims we would not be allowed to sign the new contract," Elmer Chacon, one of the drivers let go, said in a statement. "The drivers that did sign the new contracts and were back at work were sent a message on the QUALCOMM saying that they should return to TTSI and they are ‘out of service.’"

This action comes after truck drivers and their supporters demonstrated last week outside TTSI headquarters, alleging that TTSO, Pacific 9 Transportation and Green Fleet Systems continued to retaliate against them despite a truce struck by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

For more of the Press Telegram story: www.presstelegram.com

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