Truckers protesting California’s AB5 block Port of Oakland

Beginning yesterday and continuing into today, truckers protesting against California’s AB5 have essentially blockaded the Port of Oakland. They have used their trucks to block entrances to the port’s terminals. The protests are gaining momentum, with the growing crowd of truckers now saying, “Cargo won’t flow until AB5 goes.”

AB5 is a law that seeks to classify more workers as employees rather than independent contractors. It established a three-prong test to determine whether a worker is an independent contractor, and it’s generally believed that truckers who are currently independent owner-operators would not pass that test and would be required to be classified as employees. It was passed in 2019, but court challenges have meant it is taking effect only now for truckers. Read more