What started as a vision a year ago by a brave small group of Toll Group port drivers to form their union has become a reality! With the strong leadership and backing of Secretary-Treasurer Eric Tate and the members of Teamsters Local 848, the hard-working, professional Toll drivers finally have the opportunity to join the Middle Class. Toll port drivers didn't just win here locally; their emphatic yes vote is sending shockwaves throughout the entire U.S. port trucking industry and signaling to port drivers everywhere — they can too! Almost thirty years have gone by at the L.A. ports without a private sector union election, and Toll drivers just delivered one in a historic landslide victory!
These drivers have taken endless shots from the $8.8 billion global company day in and day out for the last year. When they first spoke out against the third-world like workplace conditions and the right to access the company's clean indoor restrooms, supporters sent thousands of e-mails urging Toll Group management to quit treating these professional drivers like 2nd class citizens. The overwhelming show of support assured Toll drivers they were not alone, and they’ll continue their fight for dignity and respect. When 26 of them were suspiciously “laid off” 48 hours after they collectively wore Teamsters t-shirts to work, the majority of them were returned to work after a barrage of emails to Toll by supporters.
Now more than ever, Toll drivers will have a shot at the American Dream, and can begin undoing the 30 years of abuse and poverty-wages in one of America's most dangerous industries. A voice on the job means management can no longer humiliate or force Toll drivers to suffer in poverty while the company profits. But the triumph isn't only ours. The victory is hailed by local and international supply chain workers, organized labor, and community allies as a trailblazing private sector win in an industry notorious for treating workers as disposable, and give other port drivers across the country the confidence they can do it too. The road to making port trucking a good and green union job from coast to coast is being paved. Let Toll port drivers know personally how proud you are of their historic win.
