Submitted on Tue, 08/16/2005 - 1:29pm
Disclaimer - The following article is reposted here because it is an issue with some relevance to the IWW. The views of the author and the publisher do not necessarily agree with those of the IWW and vice versa.
Truckers Demanded Mandatory Fuel Surcharges in a Protest Convoy Along South Florida's Freeways:
By Jane Bussey and Larry Lebowitz - Miami Herald, August 11, 2005
Hundreds of towering truck cabs streamed down South Florida's freeways on Wednesday in a protest convoy to demand mandatory fuel surcharges, snarling traffic and irritating travelers across the Miami metropolitan region in the process.
Trucker Marvin Palacios had grievances as broad as the wide-brimmed cowboy hat that topped his 6-foot-2-inch frame.
"Oil is becoming more expensive every day and the owners of the trucking companies don't want to pass fuel surcharge to the drivers," said Palacios. "I have a family. The cost of living is going up and we aren't earning any more."
The caravan, organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Longshoremen's Association, was staged to encourage Congress to pass a mandatory fuel surcharge law that would automatically pay truckers more as diesel prices rise.