California Judge Denies Injunction Against AB5

Efforts to halt California’s worker reclassification law ended March 15 when a federal judge dismissed the case. 

U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez denied a preliminary injunction in the case filed by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and California Trucking Association (CTA) in the Southern District of California. The two entities were trying to prevent AB 5 — which makes it significantly harder to classify workers as independent contractors — from taking effect. 

In his conclusion, Benitez stated that “remedying complexities and perceived deficiencies in AB5 are the kind of work better left to the soap box and the ballot box than to the jury box. If sufficient political or economic pressure can be brought to bear by plaintiffs and their supporters, the more onerous provisions of the statute can be amended. The courts, on the other hand, are not the proper bodies for imposing legislative amendments.” 

OOIDA and CTA alleged four issues with AB5 in their filing: 

• The Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) preempts AB5 

• Implied preemption of AB 

• AB5 violates the Commerce Clause 

• AB5 violates the Equal Protection Clause 

The CTA previously sought an injunction based on FAAAA mandates, which was initially granted, before being ultimately reversed by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.