SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to turn down a recent petition by the American Trucking Association (ATA), which says the state's meal and rest break rules for commercial vehicle drivers are preempted under federal law.
Becerra has stated in comments sent to the U.S. Department of Transportation that the petition filed by the ATA mistakenly alleges California's truck driver protection laws preempt federal law and urges the federal government to protect trucker's meal and rest break requirements.
“California labor protections for truck drivers are critical to the welfare of our workers,” Becerra said in a statement. “The men and women behind the wheel delivering the goods that we rely on every day deserve breaks, and California has a right to require these meal and rest breaks.
"This is not only a matter of what is right for workers, it’s also about California’s right to determine its own employment standards."