This week in the War on Workers: A win for port truck drivers

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Last spring, California-based truck drivers for the Australian company Toll Group voted to unionize despite an intimidation campaign by the company, which is unionized in Australia. Now, the drivers have won their first contract, and it's a big improvement. For starters:

Fair wages 'The day shift hourly rate increased from $12.72 to $19, and the night shift hourly rate from $13.22 to $19.75. In addition to the over $6/hour increase in hourly pay rates, drivers won $0.50/hour per year raises over the life of the contract, giving Toll port drivers over a 60% hourly wage boost over the life of the 3-year contract. Overtime pay of time-and-half kicks in after a typical full time 40-hour week, which is extremely rare in an industry where truckers are exempt from federal overtime laws and an average week hovers around 60 hours.

Secure retirement ' Prior to the contract, less than a dozen Toll drivers could spare any extra dollars, even pre-tax, to participate in the corporate 401(k) plan. As Teamster Local 848 members, they have been automatically enrolled in the union's Western Conference Pension Trust. Such a retirement plan at the port has rarely been seen since trucking was deregulated in 1980. Toll will make a pension contribution of $1/hour per driver until 2014, and a $1.50/hour per driver by 2015.

Affordable health care ' The Toll Group health care plan was financially out of reach for most of its truck drivers. The few who managed to meet the premium, deductibles and copayments will now keep significant more money in their pocket without sacrificing coverage, and the rest of their co-workers finally have access to quality, affordable health insurance coverage, including dental and vision care.  The company will pay 95% of the premium for individuals and 90% for family coverage. Drivers who previously had to shell out $125/month for individual or $400/month per family will drop to roughly $30 or $150, respectively.

That's not all the drivers won, and, according to driver Jose Ortega, Jr., "Justice ... it's sort of an indescribable feeling, but it is overwhelming and incredible to finally have the American Dream at our reach."

This is a relatively small group of drivers who have the advantage of working for a company that came under pressure from its unionized workers in its home country. And many port truck drivers are considered (often wrongly, but that's another story) independent contractors who will have to first fight for the right to even try to unionize. But the mostly Latino drivers at Toll Group have a huge win to celebrate, and hopefully they're just the beginning.

Click "there's more" to continue reading about Hilda Solis, life as a line cook, carwasheros, rights for exotic dancers, and more.