LOS ANGELES – Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su today hosted a roundtable discussion at the Port of Los Angeles about the benefits of having a collective bargaining relationship between truck drivers and employers at the port.

The discussion included truck drivers Jorge Mayorga and Todd Ellis; representatives of Universal Trucking, Sea-Logix, TTSI/Heavy Load Transfer and Pacific 9 Trucking; members and officers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Local 848; and Port of Los Angeles officials.

Participants highlighted the importance of improved pay, benefits, training and job stability that come with employee status and a collective bargaining relationship. They noted some drivers are owner-operators covered by the collective bargaining agreement. The companies noted the competitive challenges of following an employee model in an industry with rampant misclassification of drivers as independent contractors, and the need for strong enforcement to ensure a level playing field.

In addition, participants focused on the importance of training investments, including apprenticeship programs, and the Port of Los Angeles described its efforts to develop a state-of-the-art training facility which includes some of the promising models discussed at the event.

“The Labor Department appreciates the efforts these companies, workers and union have made to improve job quality and security for Port of Los Angeles truck drivers,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Through partnership and shared values, we can create better jobs and more stability in our supply chain.”