TEAMSTERS BACK IN COURT TO STOP UNSAFE MEXICAN TRUCKS

The Bush administration broke yet another law in continuing to allow long-haul trucks from Mexico to use U.S. highways, according to a letter filed by the Teamsters Union in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Local 70, the IBT, the Sierra Club and other groups submitted briefs in support of the lawsuit in early November. Oral arguments have been set for February 12 and the Teamsters plan to rally there to show the court their resolve against Bush's illegal cross border trucking scheme.

A federal law took effect on Dec. 26 that bans funding for the administration's "pilot" program to allow long-haul trucks from Mexico to travel beyond the narrow border zone and use American highways. In brazen defiance of that and other laws, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) refused to shut down the pilot program.

The Teamsters believe the pilot program creates a dangerous precedent on American highways because Mexican trucks and truck drivers are not held to the same safety standards as their U.S. counterparts.

"We filed this lawsuit to stop the illegal cross border program before it started," explained Joint Council 7 President Chuck Mack. "While the court denied an injunction, they scheduled the matter for hearing. We know that the Bush scheme is dangerous to the driving public across America and harmful to the environment. But more than that, it's just plain illegal."

Before the filing, the Teamsters had already challenged the legality of the pilot program, saying it breaks several laws, including:
• Trucks from Mexico can break federal highway safety laws requiring vehicles to be certified by the manufacturer that they meet U.S. safety standards.
• A 2002 law forbids trucks from Mexico beyond the border until the states can enforce their violations of federal highway safety laws; five states have said they cannot do so, according to the Transportation Department inspector general report on September 6, 2007.
• A 2007 law forbids FMCSA from letting trucks from Mexico on our highways until the inspector general certifies that the agency has met all conditions set forth by Congress. The inspector general reported on August 6, 2007 that FMCSA has not met those conditions.

Crash investigation called for

According to news reports, two tractor-trailer trucks with Mexican license plates crashed and burst into flames on a bridge linking Reynosa, Mexico and Pharr, Texas, on January
10. Four people died and six were injured.

Even before this horrendous accident occurred, the Teamsters led a rally at the Otay Mesa border crossing in December to draw attention to the issue. "If Congress won't act to protect drivers on U.S. highways, the Teamsters will convince the court to do so," IBT General President Hoffa said.

Joint Council 7 has called a rally at the Federal Courthouse in San Francisco before the February 12 hearing. "We want to see a crowd of Teamster members standing up for the law and opposing this illegal program," Mack added. "Our priority has to be safe highways, free of dangerous Mexican trucks."