Port Newark, NJ — The Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers responded to a statement from Senate President Stephen Sweeney confirming that NJ’s Anti-Independent Contractor bills (S4204/A5936) will not advance during the final days of the current legislative session.

The Bi-State strongly opposed the bills and the speed at which they were fast-tracked through the legislature, citing potential unintended consequences for NJ’s independent contractors, including the owner operator truckers who comprise 77% of the driver workforce at the Port of NY & NJ. The Association is a non-profit membership group representing motor carriers who move a majority share of the freight at the Port of NY-NJ.

“Thousands of NJ residents spoke out and joined us in the fight against these hastily filed bills,” said Bi-State President Lisa Yakomin, “and we’re grateful that the sponsor has agreed to slow things down and give this complicated issue the time and attention it deserves. We have been advocating to protect the Owner Operator business model for many years, and our voices were finally heard.”

The Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers played an active part in mobilizing opposition to the bills: an online petition garnered nearly 11,500 signatures in less than two months, motor carrier representatives and port drivers testified in Trenton Committee hearings, and Bi-State members participated in numerous Call to Action events, flooding legislators with calls and emails about the detrimental effect the bills would have on the state’s economy.

Independent contractors serve a vital role in the efficient movement of freight at the Port of NY & NJ, the busiest port on the Eastern seaboard and the second-largest port in the U.S. “Truckers at the Port of NY & NJ moved record-breaking freight volumes in 2019,” said Yakomin, “and that would not have been possible without the crucial workforce flexibility that the Independent Owner Operator model provides.”

According to current port registry data, 77% percent of the drivers who move freight at the Port of NY & NJ are Independent Owner Operators, and dozens of truckers who attended the hearings in Trenton repeatedly emphasized their desire to remain independent.

“That’s one message that came across loud and clear,” said Yakomin. “These drivers are Independent Contractors because they choose to be–they enjoy the autonomy that comes with being an entrepreneur. No one should be forced to become an employee against their will.”

The bills are expected to be reintroduced during the next legislative session, which begins on January 14, 2020, and the Bi-State pledges to continue its vocal advocacy on behalf of its membership.

“Worker classification is a complex issue that warrants sufficient time and discussion in order to get it right,” said Yakomin. “Unfortunately, as we’re witnessing right now in California, rushing to enact poorly-written classification laws, without heeding the concerns of those most affected, leads to unintended consequences, expensive lawsuits, and large-scale job loss. S4204 and A5936 would have harmed the very workers they purported to protect. We look forward to collaborating with the NJ Legislature in the months ahead to create new legislation that will achieve the common goal we all seek: protecting workers while establishing clear, objective classification guidelines that more fully accommodate the needs of the modern-day work force.”

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