Seattle Press on Line - Port Truckers Suspend Strike

Port Truckers Suspend Strike

Announcing suspension of the Port truckers strike were Bob Hasegawa (at mike), Bob Ehrler, Tessfay Yetbarek, Web Beste, Nick Lavrentiev, Diane Hulse and Roberto Diaz.

Sep 09, 1999 -- Truck drivers at the Port of Seattle went back to work August 31 after a one week stoppage to protest $8.50 average hourly wages, no health insurance and 50-hour work weeks.

Teamster Local 174 President Bob Hasegawa (above) said the truckers wanted to give some time to the Port of Seattle and other interested parties to meet with trucking companies to try to find a solution to the long-simmering dispute.

Though truckers were once employees of the companies they haul containers for, now they are treated as owner-operators and paid by weight, not an hourly wage, for the freight they move from the piers to railheads and warehouses.

Trucker Bob Ehrler, who was fired and re-instated during the protests, said, "This thing's not over, we're not giving up. We've got a majority, and we want union recognition and the right to negotiate a contract."

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