Artists' Television Access

Race to the Bottom

Sunday, May 15, 2011, 7:00 pm, $6

This screening features short films relating to the movement to promote sustainable and economically just practices to the trucking and port industry. It includes “Race to the Bottom” which depicts how the miss-classification of Port truckers has lead to major labor and environmental justice issues right here in the Bay Area, and especially West Oakland.

A spokesperson from the Clean and Safe Ports Campaign, a truck driver suffering under the
current working conditions and Sierra Club staff will be in person for questions and discussion.

The issue
Volunteers, interns, and members of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club have been working hand and hand with the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports to improve the working conditions of truck drivers operating out of the Port of Oakland and clean up this dirty, polluting industry at the same time. Through the widespread practice of illegally misclassifying port drivers as “independent contractors”, the industry forces individual truck drivers to pay all the costs of doing the company’s business including fuel, maintenance, insurance, and vehicle purchase or rental while being paid low, non-negotiable wages. Drivers mislabeled as “independent contractors,” are denied protections and benefits that most American workers receive from their employers including workers’ compensation, disability, Social Security, and the minimum wage, while the trucking companies skirt paying state and federal payroll taxes. On poverty level wages, most port drivers cannot afford nor maintain trucks that meet environmental standards. The resounding environmental and economic harm is undeniably present in the communities of East and West Oakland where 1 in 5 children have asthma– but also has significant health impacts throughout the Bay Area.

ATA is excited to be featuring “Race to the Bottom” as part of the environmental film series being sponsored by the Bay Area Chapter of the Sierra Club. Other featured films will be:

“Queen of the Sun: What the Bees Telling Us?” – This is a solution based film about how our farming practices collapse bee colonies and left unchanged will lead to the collapse of the industry.

“Dirty Business: “Clean Coal” and the Battle for Our Energy Future” investigates the true cost of of our dependence on on coal for electricity in the age of climate change.

”Revenge of the Electric Car” the sequel to “Who killed the Electric Car” goes behind the closed doors at Nissan, GM, and Tesla Motors to find the story of the global resurgence of the Electric Car.

If you are a filmmaker that would like to feature a film as part of the series, or for more information about the events please contact [email protected].

The SF Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club is the local group of the most powerful and oldest environmental organization in the nation, working to promote renewable energy, protect habitat, stop pollution toxic to humans, and promote outdoor activities right here in your community. Become a member today or sign up to volunteer: http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/