BLUF
While the supply chain crisis and the placation of the California protestors continue, for now, remember the Democratic Party ultimately intends to take AB5 national, so be on the lookout for more freedom-damaging bills just like it coming soon near you.
Truckers Say California Law Likely to Make U.S. Supply Chain Crisis Even Worse.
These exempt occupations would include, among others, licensed insurance agents, certain licensed health care professionals, registered securities broker-dealers or investment advisers, direct sales salespersons, real estate licensees, commercial fishermen, workers providing licensed barber or cosmetology services, and others performing work under a contract for professional services, with another business entity, or pursuant to a subcontract in the construction industry.
This led the California Trucking Association to take the exemption fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Unfortunately, on June 30, the Supreme Court declined to hear the petition. Now, AB5 forces the state’s more than 70,000 independent truckers to decide if they will lose their freedom by becoming an employee, forever park their rigs, or flee the once-Golden State for other gig-friendly states. Some “protection,” huh?
On cue, power-hungry California bureaucrats called for truckers to snitch on their employers. “Drivers, if you believe that you and other colleagues at the same trucking company are being misclassified as independent contractors,” tweets CA’s leftist Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower, “you can file a report of labor law violations and request an investigation from our office.” Yeah, that’ll help the supply chain crisis and the economy alright.
Not ones to take losing their freedoms lightly, according to Fox11, a large “group of truckers protesting a state law limiting the use of independent-contractor drivers held a convoy protest through the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex Wednesday, snarling some traffic in the area.”
“At this point there is no disruption of terminal activity,” according to a statement from the Port of Los Angeles. “Los Angeles Port Police will assist in making sure all parties are able to express their First Amendment rights while also making sure the port continues to operate safely and commerce continues to flow.”
The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, told Fox11 “the port had planned ahead” for the convoy protest because it is believed to be part of “an anticipated 24-hour work stoppage” in protest of AB5.
“These drivers have a view to put out there,” Seroka said in a news conference. “We planned for this days ahead to make sure that these protests were peaceful, organized. We gave them the depth, the breadth, the space they needed to voice their opinion, but kept this cargo moving through the port complex. And these drivers are very respectful to just that. I applaud them for coming out here today.”
While the supply chain crisis and the placation of the California protestors continue, for now, remember the Democratic Party ultimately intends to take AB5 national, so be on the lookout for more freedom-damaging bills just like it coming soon near you.