There was a major break in the supply chain Wednesday after a labor union walked off the job at the Port of Oakland, prompting a domino effect at the normally bustling port.
Many parts of the port went silent Wednesday morning, with gates closed and piles of containers and trucks waiting to be loaded.
"Our customers are expecting deliveries and we can't make those deliveries," AB Trucking President Bill Aboudi said. "It just snowballs. Every day that we're shut down is like five days of catch-up."
The protest was prompted by clerks representing the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
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Sean Farley, president of ILWU Local 34, said, "This is an issue of not being paid wages and everyone deserves the wages that they have earned and worked for," adding that, "It's been a huge problem and we've been dealing with this nonstop."
He said the stoppage doesn't have to do with a contract dispute but has to do with over 200 pay claims of unpaid wages, an issue that's been going on for 18 months.
He's hopeful the issue will be resolved in the coming days as they work to come to a resolution with Pacific Maritime Association.
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The port stoppage quickly triggered problems. Aboudi said his company had to scramble to find places to put all their extra containers.
"This stack of containers behind me shows you how we're being played as workers, the truckers, the longshoremen," Aboudi said. "We're caught in the crossfire of these big corporation cartels that are doing this and it just needs to stop."
The halt in the supply chain shut down three of the four port terminals, sending many truckers home, some without pay.
"I don’t get paid for the day unless I deliver the load because I get paid by the load," said Michael, an independent trucker. "They literally hold the economy hostage."
According to the port, the domestic cargo terminal remained open and international terminals will try to reopen Wednesday night.
But the damage may already be done, with some saying a single day stoppage can lead to a week of backlogs.
For frustrated truckers, they fear what happens if companies and the unions can't reach a deal soon.
"You guys all need to sit down together, hash it out as quickly as possible so consumer goods is not going to be affected by the holiday season here and get us back to work," Michael said.
