Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO President Greg Regan joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the supply chain crisis and how the misclassification of workers contributes to the bottleneck clogging U.S. ports.
Bad actions taken by certain employers have caused this, particularly in the misclassification of many truck drivers as independent contractors, Regan explained. This has led to a worker shortage and not enough trucks available to haul the goods waiting in transit.
Over the last few years, Class 1 freight railroads have reduced employment rates by 22 percent, creating a transportation system that has failed to accommodate change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Regan said.
Regan also discussed potential Congressional votes on the infrastructure bill and budget reconciliation bill, and why progress is needed soon to avert budget deadlines for transportation funds.
He also spoke about the recent epidemic of transportation workers being assaulted and how language in the budget reconciliation bill addresses the problem by increasing penalties and fines.
Listen to the entire episode below to learn more about these topics.