Campaign Description

The New York metropolitan area is home to the largest port system on the east coast. Unfortunately, one of our most important and prominent industries is also characterized by worker exploitation and pollution. ALIGN joined the Coalition for Healthy Ports in order to create better jobs for the thousands of truck drivers that work our ports, as well as reduce harmful pollution that plagues our communities.

Approximately 7,000 truck drivers make an estimated 10,000 hauls per day from one of the five port complexes scattered across New York and New Jersey. As a consequence of decades worth of deregulation, port truck drivers in New York and New Jersey are robbed of basic protections afforded other types of workers in the United States. The majority work well over 40 hours a week and many take home less than $28,000 a year. Low-wage port truck drivers are forced to carry the entire cost of owning and maintaining their trucks and are often only able to afford to oldest and dirtiest trucks available.

As a result, communities located near ports or along major truck routes are saturated by toxic, deadly diesel pollution. The Clean Air Task Force found diesel pollution in the metropolitan region is responsible for 1,663 premature deaths, 1,444 heart attacks and even sent 3,104 children to the emergency room with asthma in 2005.

In the next few years, the volume of trade at our ports is expected to double. We need to act now to bring economic and environmental sustainability to an industry that needs to clean up its act. To become more involved in this campaign, please fill out our endorsement form.