Truck drivers are entitled to paid breaks, court says
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
(07-09) 14:03 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Thousands of truck drivers in California are entitled to meal breaks and rest periods under state law, despite federal deregulation of the trucking industry, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
A century-old California law requires employers to provide paid time off during extended work shifts - under current law, a 10-minute rest break every four hours and a 30-minute meal period every five hours. But trucking companies claimed they were exempted by a nationwide law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 that prohibits states from enforcing any statutes "related to a price, route or service of any motor carrier" that is transporting property.
Until Wednesday, most federal judges in California had ruled in favor of the companies in such cases, finding that the mandatory breaks were regulations that the federal law forbids. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco set those rulings aside and said truckers are protected by state law.
California's laws "do not set prices, mandate or prohibit certain routes, or tell motor carriers what services they may or may not provide," said Judge Susan Graber in the 3-0 ruling. "They are normal background rules for almost all employers doing business in the state."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Truck-drivers-are-entitled-to-paid-breaks-courts-5609569.php
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