Three marine terminals at the Port of Oakland are operating partially and the largest terminal is closed Thursday after truckers effectively shut down terminals Wednesday in protest of California's gig worker law, port officials said.
The protests started Monday and were making the container congestion at the port worse, according to the port, whose officials are urging an end to the shutdown.
California adopted the gig worker law, Assembly Bill 5, in 2018, establishing the rights of many independent contractors as employees. Independent contractors have opposed it because they argue it limits the flexibility of their work arrangements.
The courts have upheld it. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review it, letting the ruling in lower courts stand.
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"We understand the frustration expressed by the protestors at California ports," Danny Wan, executive director at the Port of Oakland, said in a statement. "But, prolonged stoppage of port operations in California for any reason will damage all the businesses operating at the ports and cause California ports to further suffer market share losses to competing ports."
Wan added that truckers are "vital" to the flow of goods.
"We trust that implementation of AB5 can be accomplished in a way that accommodates the needs of this vital part of the supply chain," Wan said.
