February 23, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) – The Bush administration is expected to announce
today it intends to open the U.S. border to unsafe Mexican trucks in the
next six to eight weeks for a one-year experimental pilot program. The
border has remained closed, except for transfers within a 20-mile
commercial zone, since the implementation of the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) because of the Mexican government’s failure to
meet the truck safety and driver training requirements of NAFTA.

“As with the Dubai Ports debacle, President Bush is willing to risk our
national security by giving unfettered access to America’s
transportation infrastructure to foreign companies and their government
sponsors,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “They are
playing of game of Russian Roulette on America’s highways. Mexico
refuses to meet their end of the bargain yet President Bush rewards them
with open access to American highways. It is the American driving
public who will pay the consequences.”

The Teamsters Union has led efforts to keep the border closed for the
past twelve years. Just two years ago, the Department of Transportation
Inspector General found that the Mexican government and Mexican motor
carriers did not meet congressionally mandated requirements. An
Inspector General audit report is due in the next couple of months,
raising serious questions as to why President Bush is pushing this
experimental program ahead of that report.

“Where is the Inspector’s General report that tells us that Mexico is
meeting U.S. standards?” Hoffa asked. “Why is the President willing to
move forward when his own Inspector General has stated that Mexico
cannot meet its obligations?”

According to DOT sources, the Bush Administration will announce today
that it is initiating a one-year experimental program that will allow
100 Mexican carriers to begin travel beyond the currently permitted
commercial zones. Apparently no hazardous material shipments will be
permitted in order to avoid the required background checks. The DOT is
unable to say how many trucks will be participating in the experiment or
whether there will be a system in place to differentiate between those
trucks traveling to the 20-mile commercial zones and those permitted to
travel throughout the U.S.

The plan raises several serious concerns, including:

* The impact on homeland security initiatives. Will the drivers be
checked against the terror watch list or will our borders be open to
anyone with a Mexican driver’s license? Will the drivers be required to
carry a Mexican passport as U.S. citizens are required to present their
passports when entering the country from Mexico or Canada?

* The DOT has been disingenuous about this pilot program,
indicating only a few weeks ago that it was not pursuing this pilot
program. What else are they lying about?

* Enforcement of hours of service in Mexico, false log books and
fatigued drivers entering the U.S.

* The application of U.S. standards to Mexican drivers including
the requirement that U.S. drivers have a Commercial Drivers License,
undergo regular physicals and meet minimum age requirements.

* The integrity of drug and alcohol testing. Though testing will
be done in U.S. labs, it is unclear who will oversee the collection of
random samples creating a system ripe for abuse.

* Enforcement of U.S. wage and hour laws.

* DOT’s assertion that all trucks will be inspected by U.S.
officials in Mexico and at the U.S. border when less than ten percent of
all Mexican trucks entering the commercial zone are inspected now.

“The DOT has indicated that ‘this is as narrow experiment’ as they could
initiate. Yet it is an experiment that allows 100 companies and an
unknown number of Mexican trucks onto our highways and forces the U.S.
traveling public to serve as guinea pigs,” Hoffa said. “That is
unacceptable. I call on Congress to hold hearings immediately and to put
an end to this nonsense.”