With the holiday season in full swing and an alarming surge in coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County, an area labor union teamed up with local charitable organizations to distribute food and toys to truck drivers struggling to support their families during the pandemic.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing the drivers who deliver loads to and from the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports, organized a toy and food giveaway from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday to support the essential workers.
Union representatives say that drivers have been working through their holiday shifts, sometimes without proper protective equipment and workplace safety measures. Union members say that happens because trucking companies often classify their truck as independent contractors, which can deny truckers of fairer wages and benefits.
“This is the biggest economic engine in the country, the Los Angeles harbor,” said Ron Herrera, director of the Teamsters’ port division. “14,000 port truck drivers here and hundreds of thousands of warehouses — it’s time the general public understands how essential they really are. 40% of the imports that come into the U.S. come in through this harbor. The warehouse portion of this houses tons of products.”
Herrera said Friday’s event is to give back to those essential workers.
“We’re giving out food and toys. We’re giving them also to the community,” Herrera said. “It’s very, very important. Our message our here is to thank these essential workers.”
Carlos Herrera reports for the KTLA 5 News from San Pedro on Dec. 18, 2020.