California truckers have been blocking access to the Port of Oakland since Monday to protest a new state labor law.

The legislation, Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), was passed in 2019 and requires companies to classify more workers as employees instead of independent contractors. While part-and full-time employees have access to a wide range of benefits from minimum wage to health insurance, over half of California’s truckers are contractors that work with shipping companies as independent contractors. Many truckers believe that the law will diminish their flexibility to act independently. If the law is enforced, truckers would be required to pay up to $20,000 out-of-pocket for permits and insurance to handle their own logistics and remain independent. The protests have caused containers to back up at the Port of Oakland, a majort export of agricultural exports that is known as one of the 10 busiest container ports in the U.S. These disruptions have exacerbated the ongoing container congestion that has occured at various California ports for months. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has dismissed truckers' concerns and said that they "should focus on supporting this transition" to the new employment law.

Most reports highlighting the Oakland trucker protest were published by center-and right-rated sources. Left-rated outlets were more likely to highlight how the law allows companies the option to "simply take the drivers on" as employees and continue to offer them flexible schedules. Right-rated coverage emphasized how Newsom's bill forces independent owner-operators to make an "impossible choice" — be "beholden to company regulations" or "quit being a truck driver."