The world’s largest liner conference kicked off today in rather different fashion to normal. Teamsters stormed the convention centre at Long Beach just as keynote speaker Bradley Jacobs, the ceo of XPO Logistics, was gearing up to speak at TPM. The protest centered on XPO Logistics’ drayage unit, which has been fighting with drivers in California about their status. Protesters also lambasted Jacobs for potentially taking a $110m stock payout at a time when many employees were struggling to make ends meet.
Eyewitnesses tell Splash the protest took place as delegates were tucking into breakfast and spread fast, heading over to the XPO Logistics stand in the foyer of the centre as well as marching outside the building.
TPM, organised by the Journal of Commerce, is the biggest annual liner gathering in the world with more than 2,000 delegates.
#TPM2017 breakfast was interrupted by teamster protests this morning. pic.twitter.com/KAbxIIXHMN
— The Scarbrough Group (@ScarbroughGroup) February 27, 2017
