Green Acre Radio: Do truck drivers' working conditions contribute to port pollution?

Truck drivers are being paid poorly for their port-related work, and some groups believe that current arrangements are doing the environment no favors. Reporter Martha Baskin visits the Port of Seattle and looks at the issues.

Martha Baskin

Martha Baskin Jul 1, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>Green Acre Radio: Do truck drivers' working conditions contribute to port pollution? </h1>
                <h2><p>Truck drivers are being paid poorly for their port-related work, and some groups believe that current arrangements are doing the environment no favors. Reporter Martha Baskin visits the Port of Seattle and looks at the issues.</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/mobaskin-earthlink-net/">Martha Baskin</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>Truck drivers are being paid poorly for their port-related work, and some groups believe that current arrangements are doing the environment no favors. Reporter Martha Baskin visits the Port of Seattle and looks at the issues.</p><p><strong>Is there  a connection</strong> between pollution and drivers who load containers at the nation’s  ports? The <a href="http://www.cleanandsafeports.org/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports</a>, a coalition of environmental, labor,  and community organizations, says low wages and the misclassification of drivers  are aggravating the pollution. Since 2006, the coalition has worked to  reclassify the drivers as employees instead of independent contractors. But it’s  been a long haul.</p><p>Click on the audio player above or <a href="http://crosscut.com/static/static_file/2011/02/18/Green_Acre_Radio_The_Big_Rig.mp3?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">here to listen</a>.</p>
          </article>

Is there a connection between pollution and drivers who load containers at the nation’s ports? The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports, a coalition of environmental, labor, and community organizations, says low wages and the misclassification of drivers are aggravating the pollution. Since 2006, the coalition has worked to reclassify the drivers as employees instead of independent contractors. But it’s been a long haul.

Click on the audio player above or here to listen.

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By Martha Baskin

Martha Baskin is an environmental reporter, whose work on the subject began with a project for the King Conservation District. Green Acre Radio was born shortly afterward. Her work is currently suppor