Please spread this on FB and other social media: the reports of a P.R.truckers strike are FAKE NEWS.
There is no truckers strike in Puerto Rico that is preventing the distribution of goods.
I have already been calling this fake news when I've seen the claim made. I was mystified as to where the claim was coming from because I couldn't find anything about it in the MSM. Turns out it's been circulating among places like the "Gateway Pundit" and the "Conservative Treehouse."
http://www.snopes.com/puerto-rico-teamsters/
On 29 September 2017, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued a plea for help to members throughout the mainland United States, describing the efforts being made by local truck drivers in Puerto Rico, in the face of infrastructural devastation:
The Teamsters are doing what they can to improve the lives of our members there. That includes working with Joint Council 16 as well as Local 901 leadership in San Juan to identify ways how the union can help. The Teamsters are also joining together with labor unions from across the nation to identify skilled workers to travel to Puerto Rico next week to provide much needed support in critical areas.
There is currently a need for volunteer truck drivers who hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to transport shipping containers from the port to distribution centers throughout the island. Additionally, the Teamsters Freight, Airline, Passenger Transport, Package, Public Services and Waste Divisions are contacting Teamster employers that operate in Puerto Rico and our local unions throughout the U.S. and Canada to identify avenues of support and volunteers.
At this time, it is unclear if there are trucks available to move the containers, fuel to operate the trucks or road access to the distribution centers. However, the labor movement is working on the ground in Puerto Rico to bring volunteers to meet specific needs.
Indeed, Colonel Michael Valle — one of the sources cited by the Conservative Treehouse — went on to tell the Huffington Post:
There should be zero blame on the drivers. They can’t get to work, the infrastructure is destroyed, they can’t get fuel themselves, and they can’t call us for help because there’s no communication. The will of the people of Puerto Rico is off the charts. The truck drivers have families to take care of, many of them have no food or water. They have to take care of their family’s needs before they go off to work, and once they do go, they can’t call home. [Emphasis added].
A CNBC report cited in the Conservative Treehouse post also undermines the claim that there was a strike. As the reporter explains:
There are 3,000 cargo containers here at Crowley, one of the biggest shippers in Puerto Rico…Here’s the problem – the truck drivers can’t get to the terminal to get their containers out…You’re looking at truck drivers who can’t be reached by their businesses by cell phone, they don’t have the gas to get to work, and then even when they do get to work, their semi-trucks don’t have fuel. The problem is the supply chain.
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