Don’t blame workers for late deliveries during the holidays

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James Hoffa | Detroit News

This holiday season there are many things we should be thankful for. But the state of the US supply chain is not one of them.

The nation’s desire to return to normalcy and celebrate with family and friends after a 20-month absence from such gatherings due to the pandemic is straining the system and raising fears that Americans may not be able to afford the products of groceries and whatever gifts they want. These shortages, in turn, drive up prices and cost consumers more.

There is understandable frustration about the situation. Policymakers, moved by public anger, seek solutions to the problem. Many have chosen the lack of truckers as the answer, but they fail to see the forest through the trees. And that message is one that the trucking industry is likely to keep pushing in order to get what it wants – cheaper labor.

First of all, let me clear up this mistake: there is no shortage of experienced truckers. However, there is a problem with those drivers who get fair pay and treatment from their employers. Nationwide shipping of goods will continue to be hampered until the government tackles issues such as misclassification of drivers.

Port truck drivers in particular are the target of such treatment. The industry is notorious for illegally forcing drivers to cover truck costs and work long hours without meal and rest breaks and other basic employee protections. In addition, by misclassifying drivers and paying them off-load, trucking companies offload the costs of long wait times and traffic jams onto the backs of drivers, removing any incentive for trucking companies or owners. freight to repair this failing system.

Truckers are taken for granted by big business even after all the work they’ve done to keep America going through the toughest days of COVID-19. They were considered heroes and repeatedly praised by lawmakers for endangering their own health and that of their families while delivering food and essentials to Americans. Drivers were on the front lines when the country needed them most, but their sacrifice was quickly forgotten.

This is why the industry turnover rate has reached 90%. Essentially, drivers are disparaged for not wanting to work countless hours for low pay and in unsafe conditions that would endanger road safety.

But instead of solving the real problem, the American Trucking Association and others are urging Congress to open up the industry to inexperienced teenage drivers, which will allow companies to profit while making commutes more dangerous. As it stands, driving trucks is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Does it make sense to make things worse?

There are also problems with freight train service. The Precision Scheduled Railway business model operates on very long trains in order to remove jobs in order to maximize short-term profits.

The practice reduces the quality of service due to the lower frequency of service at shippers, introduces risk due to longer trains taxing the braking equipment, and increases rail congestion as longer trains create bottlenecks in because of their excessive length. This is not a solution.

This nation needs more jobs that offer fair wages and benefits and can support working families. Road and rail transport companies must be held accountable. They are the ones who hinder the supply chain, not the Americans who work for them.

James Hoffa is president of the Teamsters.

Work voice

Labor Voices columns are rotated by United Auto Workers President Ray Curry, Teamsters President James Hoffa, and Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart.

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