Trucker protest shuts down operations at California port

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Truckers protesting a state labor law have effectively shut down cargo operations at the Port of Oakland, one of then ten-busiest container ports in the country. The port made the announcement Wednesday as independent truckers blocked terminal gates for a third day. Port officials urged them to end the protest, saying it’s harming operations already stressed by supply-chain issues that have caused cargo traffic jams at major ports. The truckers are protesting Assembly Bill 5, a gig economy law that hasn’t yet been enforced but will made it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. Demonstrators who own and operate their own trucks say the law will make it harder for them to make a living.