$96 for 50 hours of work?
As part of CEH’s continuing work on improving air quality in low income communities, CEH shares Aditi Vaidya from East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)’s post on the fight to fix the broken port trucking system:
You might have read that EBASE and the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports took our fight to fix the broken port trucking system all the way to Washington, DC this past spring. Thanks to your support, members of Congress turned up the heat on the industry.
Click here to watch a new video with highlights from the historic hearing and to take action to end “sweatshops on wheels.” At minute 1:45, learn how LA truck driver Jose Covarrubias earned just $96 for 50 hours of work!
At the hearing, Congressmembers Oberstar (MN) and DeFazio (OR) not only dared to ask tough questions of the trucking industry, but also promised to further investigate the trucking industry scams that are threatening the livelihoods of port truck drivers.
As coalition members testified, the industry relies on outdated federal laws to justify passing the cost of cleaning up the air onto low-income truck drivers and taxpayers while continuing the vicious cycle of working poverty at our nation’s ports.
Low-income truck drivers and taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the industry’s responsibility to clean the air we all breathe – don’t you agree?
Please take action and let Reps. Oberstar and DeFazio know that the fight has just begun!
Cross posted at EBASE’s blog.