Union Representing Truckers Say Bush Puts Americans at Risk on the Road

Bush's administration is putting Americans at risk on the road, says Teamster's General President Jim Hoffa. The Teamsters are suing to block plans by the Department of Transportation to open the U.S. border to Mexican truckers. The Bush administration has consistently encouraged the program and opposed any action against it. In response, the union leader shot back with blunt words.

"This is just more deceit from the Bush administration," Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said Thursday. "They've been trying to sneak this program
into existence for years and we can't even force them to tell the truth by going to court."

"Their court filing says the truck safety agency will satisfy all the safety requirements that Congress ordered, and we know that would be
impossible," Hoffa said. "For example, they claim that all Mexican motor carriers can comply with drug and alcohol testing requirements. How can
that be when there are no drug testing labs in Mexico?"

Some of the reasons the Teamsters believe the move to be unsafe for the American public include:

A lack of any certified laboratory in Mexico to test drug and alcohol samples. Many truckers, Americans included, face the temptation of using methamphetamines to drive longer hours.

Mexico does not enforce limits on the driver's time on the road.

It is difficult to distinguish real Mexican CDCs from fakes. Checks of the validity of Mexican commercial drivers' licenses against Mexico's own database showed that almost 20% were invalid.

Mexican drivers' history is not tracked by most States. When it is the process is time consuming. More than 40,000 traffic violations by Mexican drivers in Texas have yet to be entered into the state's database.

The U.S. DOT originally planned to begin the pilot program Labor Day weekend, and has agree to push back the start date due to heavy domestic traffic. The new start date will be no later than September 6. Despite Congressional opposition and concerns of the public, Bush has consistently said the program will continue. That the program was slated to begin Labor Day weekened particularly incensed parties concerned about safety.

"What a slap in the face to American workers -- opening the highways to
dangerous trucks on Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest driving weekends
of the year," said Hoffa in the announcement that the Teamster's would be suing to stop the program.

SOURCE:

International Brotherhood of Teamsters. American Public Put at Risk on Highways by Bush Administration Unsafe Mexican Trucks Could Cross U.S. Border Soon, PR Newswire

International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Slam Bush Administration for Pursuing Mexican Trucks Pilot Program, PR Newswire

International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Sue to Stop
Illegal, Unsafe Mexican Trucks From Crossing Into U.S., Teamsters.org