Teamsters Appeal Court Ruling On Mexican Trucks

Ask for Rehearing or Rehearing En Banc from D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Jun 03, 2013, 05:26 ET

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters today asked for a rehearing on its challenge to the Department of Transportation's cross-border trucking program.

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Last month the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the legality of the pilot program to open U.S. borders to unsafe Mexican trucks.

The Teamsters' petition argues a rehearing is necessary "because the panel's dismissal of Petitioners' claims ... conflicts with decisions of this Court and the U.S. Supreme Court."

The court found that Mexico-domiciled trucks don't have to comply with federal safety requirements for vehicles introduced into interstate commerce. The Teamsters believe that conclusion is not only wrong, but contradicts a previous D.C. Circuit opinion about safety regulations for tires, the National Association of Motor Bus Owners v. Brinegar.

"Our members who drive for a living should not have to put their lives at risk because dangerous trucks are allowed free use of our roads," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "Nothing in the court's decision says Mexican trucks will be safe."

The Teamsters were joined by the Sierra Club in the petition for rehearing. The two groups are challenging the court's ruling on environmental grounds because it undercuts the National Environmental Policy Act. They say the ruling violates the precedent that federal agencies must consider the environmental consequences of their actions before making decisions.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters