For Immediate Release: FRIDAY, March 12, 2010 For More Information, please call: Bhairavi Desai
NYTWA Statement on TLC's Overcharge Indictment of Entire Taxi Workforce
Investigate the Investigation!
"The TLC released findings today alleging overcharges on average of $4.45 per fare by a whopping over 35,500 drivers over 26 months. While there are over 49,000 hack license holders, only about 30,000 are full-time, steady drivers who operate 13,237 medallion taxicabs. So at 35,000 alleged violators, we are talking the whole universe of drivers. The TLC's findings are based on technology - there are no actual witnesses to the allegations. The fact that the technology condemns the whole universe of active drivers alone tells us that this was not about individuals; there was a systemic failure here. There is only one common element across the board in all of these alleged incidents: the taxi meter and technology. The drivers varied. The trips varied. The payments varied. Only the meters and technology were the same.
Last night, March 11th, a message appeared in all cabs served by one of the three GPS vendors, stating that the credit card readers would be out for up to four hours last night so drivers could only take cash. How many riders were angry and doubtful of the driver, blaming him or her when they were told the reader wasn't working? Drivers have been scapegoated for the failures of this technology over and again.
There should be a more thorough investigation before judgment is cast on an entire workforce. Taxi drivers are some of the hardest working and honest New Yorkers, laboring back-breaking 12-hour shifts without safety or health care. There are countless stories of drivers returning diamonds and tens of thousands of dollars in cash. Yet, according to the technology, the same workforce would cheat the general public over $4? These allegations raise more questions about the technology, the meters, and the investigation - than it does about drivers."
Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director New York Taxi Workers Alliance
NYTWA scored another victory for drivers as the Port Authority agrees to renovate the bathrooms at the JFK Airport Central Taxicab Holding Lot after organizers Bill Lindauer, Osman Chowdhury and Beresford Simmons made the demand at the Port’s Board of Directors meeting on December 10. A restroom trailer will be set up for one week during January 2010 renovations. NYTWA took on the cause after members called the union office and filed the complaint. During the public meeting, NYTWA also called for a long-term solution to JFK hustlers and asked for the Port Authority to extend their sting operations to Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.
A New York Taxi Workers Alliance delegation traveled to Washington, D.C. to bring the plight of New York City taxi drivers directly to the President himself. Executive Director Bhairavi Desai and co-founder and Organizing Committee member Javaid Tariq represented the union at President Barack Obama's first and highly anticipated state dinner, held on Tuesday, November 24th in honor of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "When we first met President Obama on the receiving line, he said, '(y)ou know I was an organizer too'," reported Ms. Desai. "This was such an honor for us. I remember the days when the old Mayor wouldn't allow us to enter City Hall. And here we were in the White House."
Ms. Desai and Mr. Tariq were seated with the highest ranking labor leader in the US, Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO. At tables to their other side were Vice President Biden and Attorney General Eric Holden and two tables away was the President himself. The President was seated next to Ms. Kaur, India's First Lady, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Colin Powell, and Senator John Kerry. Mrs. Obama was seated with PM Singh at a table on the other side of the walkway. Ms. Desai and Mr. Tariq also walked up to the President during dinner. "We asked him if we could give him a tour of NYC in a taxi and he said that while Secret Service would not let him do that now, he would definitely take up the offer in the future," said Ms. Desai. "To know the White House knows about our struggle for justice and rights for taxi drivers makes us so proud. That's union power. All the drivers should know that we are winning allies in high places," beamed Mr. Tariq.
Union Brings Taxi Drivers' Fight to National Leaders
NYTWA used their stay in DC for the state dinner to meet with other national officials. Organizers Bill Lindauer, Victor Salazar and Beresford Simmons joined Ms. Desai and Mr. Tariq for meetings with the Department of Labor, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the AFL-CIO. "We asked each official for support to stop high leases, the five percent credit card theft, the fifty cents MTA tax, and the hustlers at the airports and the city," said Mr. Salazar. NYTWA has been meeting with city officials about these same issues and also for rights to bus lanes and full turn rights for occupied taxis. “We were very encouraged when we heard the news from the Queens District Attorney's office of an undercover operation at JFK Airport during which 18 hustlers were arrested. We need to make sure the others don't move more into the city as a result of enforcement at the airports," said Mr. Simmons.
NYTWA's fight for lower leases received a big boost when on Friday, November 20th, a state judge dismissed the garage owners' attempt to raise the lease cap. "The garages were suing for the right to charge over $4.65 more per shift, and were challenging new TLC rules that allow the city to lower the lease caps, not just raise them, and no longer require the TLC to only or primarily look at owner profits in deciding the lease caps," said Ms. Desai. Represented by attorneys from Paul, Weiss NYTWA submitted affidavits to make the court aware of the plight of drivers and the economic stranglehold that leases have on drivers.
"This victory gives us a great boost in stopping garages from charging weekly drivers the daily rate and stopping brokers from charging over the lease cap on paid off cars. This legal case was necessary for future victories,” said Mr. Lindauer.
Having left for DC on the heels of a victory and hearing the positive news about the anti-hustler enforcement gave the delegation more energy in their high-powered meetings. "The White House dinner was about bringing drivers' struggle to the highest office in the nation. Drivers should know the union will take our fight everywhere necessary to win our rights," said Mr. Tariq.
July 19: Gioia Study on Health Insurance
News From…
Councilman Eric Gioia
For Immediate Release: July 19, 2009
Contact: Eric Koch (617) 733-6891
Gioia Study Finds More Than Half Of New York's Taxi Drivers Uninsured
45% Of Taxi Drivers Who Visited The Hospital in The Past Year Had No Health Insurance
New York—Today, Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens), Chairman of the Council Committee on Oversight and Investigations, along with Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the Taxi Workers Alliance, released the findings of a survey Gioia conducted which found that taxi drivers have a 52% uninsurance rate—more than twice as high as the average New Yorker. The survey also found that nearly 37% of taxi drivers with children had no health insurance. The one-year Gioia study of 314 cab drivers took place between 2008 and 2009. Gioia proposed a three-point plan to help New York City's over 40,000-licensed drivers live healthier lives.
“Taxi drivers are the invisible face of New York’s transit- and my study found they are also potentially among the most unhealthy,” said Councilman Gioia. “Every day, thousands of taxi drivers go to work without health insurance, despite working a stressful and unhealthy job. Taxi drivers are essentially a part of our public transportation system—making the city run—and yet unlike public employees, they have no guarantee of health care. We need to do more.”
“Drivers suffer 60- to 70-hour back-breaking work weeks and are vulnerable to injury from assaults and accidents at a higher rate than any other workforce. It's unconscionable that workers whose working conditions directly lead to deteriorating health are the very ones who remain uninsured at a higher rate,” said Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance
According to the results of a survey by Councilman Gioia, 52% of the more than 300 taxi drivers interviewed had no health insurance, more than twice the percentage citywide. Gioia’s study also found:
Of those taxi drivers with health insurance, 24% were covered by their spouse—not because they had their own health plan.
The estimated cost of uncompensated care for taxi drivers without insurance is approximately $13 million per year.
45% of taxi drivers who visited the hospital in the past year had no health insurance.
44% of taxi drivers who take prescription medication have no health insurance.
Of taxi drivers surveyed who had both a doctor's visit and a stay in the hospital in the last year—a group particularly in need of insurance and prescription drugs—41% were without insurance.
In order to help taxi drivers live healthier lives, Gioia proposed a three point plan to help fix the chronic uninsurance and health issues which taxi drivers face:
Conduct On-site Enrollment For Taxi Drivers: The city should work to ensure that every driver who qualifies for public health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid and Family Health Plus, is enrolled by conducting on-site healthcare enrollment at locations taxi drivers congregate. The TLC and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene should also team up to do regular health surveys of drivers to help identify the short- and long-term health effects of driving a taxi in New York City.
Driver Insurance: If current comprehensive healthcare reform efforts in Congress fail to create a way to cover taxi drivers and similar workers who do not have insurance, the City should explore an industry-sponsored health fund for taxi drivers.
Provide On-Site Access to Health Services: The City and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey should partner with New York's public and private hospitals to provide on-site preventative and primary care services at sites where taxi drivers congregate, like JFK and LaGuardia airports, along with providing small exercise facilities for taxi drivers at areas which can support them.
Studies have found that driving a taxi can be very a very unhealthy profession. A report by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) found that taxi drivers face many health-related issues, including little access to quality health care, few chances to eat healthy meals, and multiple chronic health issues. The UCLA study, which surveyed 302 Los Angeles cab drivers, found:
49% reported that they had back pain severe enough to interfere with daily activities;
40% had leg problems, including swollen legs and “left leg limp”; and
34% reported eye problems.
"Left leg limp" is a syndrome that, according to UCLA, appears to be caused by infrequent use of the left leg, since the right is used for driving and braking while the left maintains little use during the day. In total, more than half those surveyed had medically diagnosed back and leg problems. More than half of those taxi drivers surveyed in Los Angeles were found to be suffering from severe or extremely severe stress during their day because of the conditions they faced, leading to heart attacks and other heart ailments. Long hours in traffic also lead to lung diseases like asthma. Additionally, due to long hours with lack of access to bathrooms, drivers often develop bladder disorders.
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More Than Half of NY's Taxi Drivers Uninsured
News From…Councilman Eric Gioia For Immediate Release: July 19, 2009, Contact: Eric Koch 718-383-9566
Gioia Study Finds More Than Half Of New York's Taxi Drivers Uninsured 45% Of Taxi Drivers Who Visited The Hospital in The Past Year Had No Health Insurance
New York—Today, Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens), Chairman of the Council Committee on Oversight and Investigations, along with Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the Taxi Workers Alliance, released the findings of a survey Gioia conducted which found that taxi drivers have a 52% uninsurance rate—more than twice as high as the average New Yorker. The survey also found that nearly 37% of taxi drivers with children had no health insurance. The one-year Gioia study of 314 cab drivers took place between 2008 and 2009. Gioia proposed a three-point plan to help New York City's over 40,000-licensed drivers live healthier lives. Click here to continue and for study findings
Taxi Motorcade Drives Message to Albany: No Taxi Tax! Not on Our Backs!
For Immediate Release: April 28th, 2009
Dozens of taxis caravanned to Albany on Tuesday, April 28th turning the streets and highways of New York into a sea of yellow from Manhattan to Albany and across the Thruway. Taxis from NYTWA and LOMTO (League of Mutual Taxi Owners) covered window to window with signs of, “No Taxi Tax,” “Not On Our Backs,” and “Support Jet Fuel Tax” traveled 300 miles round trip to stop lawmakers from passing a $1 taxi tax as toward a bailout of the MTA and to fix upstate roads and bridges. The proposal is now in the Rules Committee and a full Senate vote is expected the week of May 4th. The bill would then go to the Assembly. Fifty taxis, seventy drivers and industry representatives traveled to make Albany hear the pleas of over 47,000-licensed taxi drivers: We are struggling enough. Don’t single us out. The taxi tax has been under growing criticism. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called it bothersome and impractical. Governor Paterson said the $1 would be too burdensome to already struggling drivers.
The caravan crusaders held an energetic rally at the gathering point across the Javits Center in front of live cameras from 5:30am until send off at 6:45am. In Albany, they circled the Capitol building with upstate TV crews and photographers filming their every turn. The crew then assembled at the steps of the Capitol for a press conference with Assemblyman Peter M Rivera and proud former taxi driver Assemblyman Jose Rivera.
“Why are we being singled out?” asked NYTWA Organizing Committee Member Victor Salazar, capturing the general sentiment among all NYC’s 40,000-plus licensed yellow taxicab drivers. “It’s more work for less pay because we now add tax collecting to our already hectic 12-hour shifts.”
Managing Director of LOMTO, Vincent Sapone, was also outraged, “While the MTA has enjoyed raises & bonuses every year, Cab Drivers have to survive by working 6-7 days a week with no benefits and we have to wait years for an increase. The dollar tax will destroy our income.” NYTWA estimates that business is already down by over 20% from the recession.
The drivers and industry representatives stood in support of Assemblyman Peter M Rivera’s proposed modest increase by $2 per gallon in the jet fuel tax paid by airlines. According to AM Rivera, "There are over 86 million boarding of airliners in New York State airports yearly. The heavy passenger traffic at New York airports requires the maintenance of road, bridge and rail infrastructure to transport all those passengers. It is only fair to ask for a modest increase in the cost of jet fuel which will have negligible impact on the prices of airline tickets and on the operations of airlines." The Assemblyman’s proposal would also spare businesses and New Yorkers from the controversial payroll tax and tolling of the Harlem River and East River bridges.
“We are supporting the Assemblyman’s proposal because it’s the most fair. It will get the state the money without overburdening any one group,” said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai.
“(The $1 taxi tax) will do nothing to help New York's mass transit system and the New Yorkers who pay this tax will never use those upstate roads,” added Executive Director David Pollack of the Committee for Taxi Safety, an industry trade association representing 2,500 taxi medallion agents.
After the spirited speeches, the group divided into meetings with various legislators, including Senate Transportation Committee Chair Martin Malavé Dilan and Senator Bill Perkins, Assembly Labor Committee Chair George Onorato and Assembly Transportation Committee Chair David Gant.
NYTWA is headed to Albany again next week, asking drivers and supporters are being asked to call and visit their state representatives. ###
Apr 28 Taxi Drivers Motorcade to Albany to Protest
ADVISORY:
For Immediate Release April 27, 2009
For More Information, please call: Bhairavi Desai, New York Taxi Workers Alliance at 917-945-7286 Vincent Sapone, League of Mutual Taxi Owners (LOMTO) at (212) 947-3380 ext. 3110
Taxi Drivers Motorcade to Albany to Protest $1 Taxi Tax Drivers and Industry Support Modest Increase in Jet Fuel Tax
TUESDAY, APRIL 28th NYC Press Conference & Send Off: 6:30am 11th Avenue & 34th St.
Albany: Arrival & Circling of Capitol Building: 10:00am Press Conference @ Steps of Capitol: 10:30am
A sea of yellow taxis will arrive in Albany on Tuesday morning, as drivers incensed by the proposed $1 taxi tax to bailout the MTA and build bridges and roads in upstate New York, are taking their message directly to the state law makers. The caravan will hold a send off press conference at 6:30am at 11th Avenue and 34th Street before heading up to circle the Capitol Building and holding a press conference at the steps. They will then meet with individual Senators and Assembly Members. Drivers have been hit hard by the recession, seeing a drop off in ridership. They say the $1 will reduce ridership even further, lead to less tips and deny them their own raise for maybe another fie to ten years as taxi fares are generally not increased more than twice a decade. Joining the drivers in Albany will be Assemblyman Rivera who is proposing a modest increase in the jet fuel tax as an alternative proposal to the taxi tax, payroll tax and tolling the Harlem and East River bridges. The motorcade is being organized by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and the League of Mutual Taxi Owners. The drivers will also be joined in Albany by taxi brokers and owners to demonstrate a united industry opposition to the tax.
Taxi Drivers Motorcade to Albany to Protest $1 Taxi Tax
Drivers and Industry Support Modest Increase in Jet Fuel Tax
TUESDAY, APRIL 28th NYC Press Conference & Send Off: 6:30am 11th Avenue & 34th St. Albany: Arrival & Circling of Capitol Building: 10:00am Press Conference @ Steps of Capitol: 10:30am
A sea of yellow taxis will arrive in Albany on Tuesday morning, as drivers incensed by the proposed $1 taxi tax to bailout the MTA and build bridges and roads in upstate New York, are taking their message directly to the state law makers. Click here to read entire press release or download press release here
Assemblyman Peter Rivera and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, joined by League of Mutual Taxi Owners (LOMTO) and the Committee for Taxi Safety, held a spirited and LOUD press conference at the steps of City Hall to rally behind AM Rivera's rejection of the $1 taxi tax and alternative proposal for a modest increase in the state's jet fuel tax to balance the MTA budget. NYS Senators Eric Martin Dilan and Bill Perkins have introduced a bill to raise the taxi meter by $1 per fare. The money would not go to drivers. It would go to bailout the subways and buses (MTA) and to fix the roads and bridges in upstate New York. The proposal has ignited the rage of taxi workers tired of being scapegoated, ignored, and trampled on.
Drivers received more support as Mayor Michael Bloomberg upped his criticisms of the proposed taxi tax, calling it bothersome and questioning its fairness and practicality.& nbsp; NYS Senator Martin Golden has also been a major critic, citing the tax as an unfair imposition to balance the budgets on taxi drivers' backs.
City Council Transportation Committee Chairperson John Liu also spoke in support of the proposed alternative which would raise the tax on airlines from present six cents to 25 to 50 cents. AM Rivera says enough money would be generated to discard the taxi tax, Harlem and East River tolls and payroll tax. The Senate is to vote the week of April 27th, followed by the Assembly. If both of these houses of the NYS legislature do not approve the same proposal, then the leadership Caucus will negotiate a final decision.
The issue has already lead to a historic united front between taxi drivers, owner-operators, taxi brokers and garages who came together at City Hall steps to stand in unity for one cause. Earlier in the day, the union and industry trade associations had also rallied at Penn Station to bring home the message of unified opposition to this assault on taxi workers' livelihoods. Already struggling taxi workers, at a loss of 25% ridership from the recession, would lose tips, ridership, opportunity for health care and have a raise for themselves delayed by another 5 to 10 years.
NYTWA has visited Albany, organized a massive Call-In & E-mail Campaign and held several press conferences. The union is now making plans for a taxi caravan to the state capital.
Contact: Guillermo Martinez for AM Rivera - 518/455-5102 Bhairavi Desai, NY Taxi Workers Alliance - 212-627-5248
Rivera & Taxi Drivers: No Upstate Roads Will be Built on the Backs of New York City’s Poorest Communities
Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera & NY Taxi Worker Alliance, the Committee for Taxi Safety, & League of Mutual Taxi Owners push for a modest tax on jet fuel sales in New York, proposal could raise billions of dollars for MTA and Upstate roads without need for tolls and taxi fees
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (04/24/09) – Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, a senior member of the New York State Legislature, was joined today by the leadership of taxi driver groups from the region to publicly unveiled a sensible and practical plan that if implemented by Albany would generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and upstate communities with airports.
The plan which is an expanded version of a proposal he made to his legislative colleagues last month relies on raising the state levy on jet fuel by as much as 2 dollars per gallon from the current 6 cents. Jet fuel consumption in New York State is over 20 million barrels per year or 854,322,000 gallons per year. A temporary $2 levy per gallon would yield $1.7 billion annually for the MTA and the 16 Upstate communities with airports. According to Assemblyman Rivera, “Upstate roads and bridges will not be built by taking food off the table of the families of hardworking taxi drivers or by tolling bridges that will make minority neighborhoods into toxic fume yielding parking lots. Albany has failed to take into consideration other revenue options with less negative impact on New York City. One such option is my proposed sales tax on jet fuel sales.” Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Worker Alliance, declared, "It's unfair, impractical and excessively punitive to balance the bailout on the backs of hard-working taxi drivers who labor without guaranteed incomes or health care or paid time off. Assemblyman Rivera's plan is the right thing to do - it will generate the funds without overburdening any one constituency. It's fair, practical, reasonable with maximum yield and lowest burden. We urge state lawmakers to adopt it now." “There are over 86 million boardings of airliners in New York State 18 airports yearly. The heavy passenger traffic at New York airports requires the maintenance of road, bridge and rail infrastructure to transport all those passengers. It is only fair to ask for a modest increase in the cost of jet fuel which will have negligible impact on the prices of airline tickets and on the operations of airlines.” A $1 increase per gallon of jet fuel would raise the cost of an airline ticket by less than $10 but yield New York over $854 million dollars annually for mass transit projects statewide.
According to AirTran earlier this week, an airline operating out of La Guardia airport, “We expect our fuel cost per gallon to be between $1.75 and $1.80 all in inclusive of taxes, transportation and into-plane fees.” Rivera argued that the analysis on low jet fuel tax by AirTran and found on a premier financial sector web site “clearly shows that there is room for a modest and temporary tax on jet fuel to help fix the problems caused by the mismanagement of the MTA.”
“Our newest and poorest immigrants should not bear the brunt of fixing upstate roads or the MTA mismanagement. This morning Japan’s two largest airlines unveiled plans to totally eliminate their jet fuel surcharge because the price of petroleum is down 60% from last year. This is more evidence that the there is room to tax jet fuel without an adverse impact on our economy. The facts are clear on this. Albany must use this option in the equation to fix the MTA,” declared Rivera.
Rivera noted that, based on jet fuel consumption, substantial transportation infrastructure financing could be raised temporarily, even for the construction of high speed rail in various parts of the State. He released the following suggested tax levy per gallon of jet fuel consumed in New York. “We need leadership with creative ideas that will move our transportation systems into the modern world already enjoyed by Asians and Europeans.” Rivera was referring to the European Union’s recent proposal to tax roundtrips by $75 to begin process of protecting the environment from greenhouse gas emissions from planes.Aviation industry is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gases, and flights within Europe are on track to triple by 2030.
Contact: Guillermo Martinez for AM Rivera - 518-455-5102 Bhairavi Desai, NY Taxi Workers Alliance - 917-945-7286 Mei Ru for Councilmember John Liu - 718-360-9393
Hundreds of Taxi Drivers to Rally at City Hall Against Increased Fees to Bailout MTA, Support Plan to Temporarily Tax Jet Fuel Sales to Improve Mass Transit
Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera, Councilmember John Liu and other elected officials to push tomorrow for a modest tax on jet fuel sales in New York that will generate millions of dollars for MTA and Upstate roads, while having negligible impact on cost of air travel and airline operations
WHO: Members of the Committee for Taxi Safety Members of League of Mutual Taxi Owners Hundreds of New York City Taxi Drivers Bhairavi Desai, New York Taxi Workers Alliance Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera Councilmember John Liu Other elected officials
WHAT: Opposed to more fees on taxi drivers, hundreds of cab drivers will join lawmakers to call for legislative leaders to consider a temporary and modest tax on the hundreds of millions of gallon of jet fuel sold in New York State each year. The proposed tax could yield hundreds of millions of dollars for mass transit systems across New York and would help avoid the proposed levy on taxi rides, payroll taxes and bridge tolls that are being forced on New Yorkers.
WHEN: Friday, April 24, 2009 at 1:00 PM
WHERE: Steps of City Hall, New York City
WHY: State lawmakers are considering a wide range of taxes and fees to rescue the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from a looming financial crisis. Groups opposed to additional taxes and fees want legislative leaders to consider alternative revenue sources t hat show great potential to mitigate financial impact on mass transit users. Senior lawmakers at the City and State level believe a modest jet fuel tax will prevent additional fees on taxi rides and other taxes. Complete plan will be unveiled.
"The proposed plan (to charge an extra 50-cent fee on all taxi rides) is unfair, punitive, and a sign of how out of touch Albany is with working New Yorkers. Bailing out the MTA on the backs of workers who labor 12-hour shifts, without health care or pension or paid time off will only put drivers deeper in an economic hole and steps further away from winning any raise ourselves for health care or other benefits. We will suffer less tips, lower rider ship and on some days both. For every 50 cents that go to the MTA—$50 – $100 a week or $200 – $400 a month—is money drivers will pay out of pocket for the operating expenses, forcing even longer hours. Already taxi drivers are hurting with 20% less rider ship due to the recession. Why are drivers being asked to take a wage cut on top of it to bailout the MTA? We know the Governor and legislature is out of touch with ordinary New Yorkers who do the daily grind of driving a taxicab for a living—considered the most dangerous job in the country by the Department of Labor—but they are also out of touch with our riders. Many of the men and women we serve everyday are the elderly visiting a doctor or a janitor going home from the night shift or a parent with a baby stroller or a businessperson running to meet their job's demands. Using hard-working taxi drivers and our riders to bail them out shows our policy makers may be even more morally bankrupt than the MTA is fiscally bankrupt."
Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director New York Taxi Workers Alliance
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NYTWA OFFERS FREE TAX FILING FOR TAXI DRIVERS
For Immediate Release: March 1, 2009
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is partnering with Community Service Society to offer free tax filing for NYTWA members. An experienced filer will be at the office every Monday from 12noon until 8pm, beginning March 2nd until April 13th. “Drivers and their families should file now and also claim their Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other refunds,” said NYTWA Campaigns Coordinator William Lindauer. “We will also see if they are eligible for health care and other benefits.” NYTWA also has a list of free tax filing centers throughout New York City.
Drivers are advised to collect end of year 2008 GPS-generated trips sheets from every garage or broker from where they leased last year and collect their expense receipts for the medallion/taxi lease, gas, repairs, inspections, vehicle maintenance, receipts of tolls or fares where the passenger never paid and five percent credit card surcharges. NYTWA co-founder Javaid Tariq explained, the GPS reports are drivers’ gross earnings. Drivers must still count all of their expenses to calculate their taxable net income.
“Taxi drivers are left in a real bind because they have high expenses like a business but their take home pay is dismal and at minimum wage levels. So they need special accounting but don’t have the incomes to pay for one. We don’t want our members to be burdened or cheated. So we are here to offer this free service,” said Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. Drivers can call for an appointment at the NYTWA office at 212-627-5248.
NYTWA Wins Changes to Accessible Taxi Dispatching
Scores Victory for Drivers and Riders
Immediate Release: February 19, 2009
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance scored a huge victory for taxi drivers and riders who are disabled as the Mayor's office agreed to the union's proposals for changes to the TLC's wheel-chair accessible taxi dispatching program.
The new policies go into effect March 1st.
NYTWA had been calling for an end to a TLC policy of letting accessible vans go straight into the moving lane at JFK Airport, without having to wait in the lot like all other taxi drivers. "It's been keeping the accessible taxis at JFK and emptying them out of the rest of the city," said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai. "Meanwhile, drivers of all other cars watched their wait time in the lot double up to as much as three hours. Riders who wanted a wheel-chair accessible cab outside of JFK and the drivers inside JFK both suffered."
While drivers normally can only enter the "short-haul ticket lane" after already waiting in the lot and completing a fare to a near-by destination, accessible taxi drivers were given automatic access. And they were sent to the next available fare at the terminal, not necessarily riders in need of accessible taxis. The Mayor's Office agreed to NYTWA's proposal of giving access only after a dispatched call is completed on that day.
The city also agreed to sending messages to drivers as fares become available city-wide, instead of requiring drivers to log-in to zones, using a Blackberry. "Yellow cabs are always in motion. By the time a call comes in one zone, we are already in another one," said Beresford Simmons, 60, one of the first wheel-chair taxi purchasers in the industry, and NYTWA Organizing Committee Member. "Now, after a passenger makes the call to 311, we can be hailed through a message and the first one to respond gets the fare, just like it is on the streets."
The proposals have been greeted with optimism and a renewed call for more accessible taxis by advocates for the disabled. "Wheelchair users had given up on central dispatch because taxis just wouldn't come, so we are hopeful that the change proposed by the Taxi Workers Alliance will work," said Jean Ryan, vice chair of the Taxis For All Campaign, a coalition that advocates for wheelchair-accessible taxis and car services. "In the end, though, what we really need are enough accessible cabs on city streets so we can hail a cab rather than be forced to call for one."
Drivers at JFK were elated by the news. "We were really suffering. We all lost ten, eleven fares a week. Instead of rewarding us for working there, we were being punished," said Tanveer Mohammed. Mr. Simmons, who refused to go straight into the short-haul line and "break the unity," said he was both relieved drivers are no longer being treated unequally and hopeful more disabled passengers would be served.
Contacts: Bhairavi Desai, NYTWA, 917-945-7286 Jean Ryan, Taxis For All Campaign, 917-658-0760
Sunday, 25 January 2009 21:10
DRIVERS DOMINATE COUNCIL HEARING ON CREDIT CARDS Call for End to 5% Heist
January 14th @ City Hall: Drivers dominated the City Council Chambers, waving bright yellow “LIES!” signs as the TLC, garage owners and GPS vendors testified against a council bill supported by taxi drivers to fix the unfairness of the TLC’s credit card system where drivers lose major income. “On a good day, drivers lose 5% of their income, even on the tip and toll. On a bad day, they lose 100% of the fare,” said NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai.
Intro 705, introduced by City Council Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin (D-Queens) and supported by Council Transportation Committee Chairman John Liu (D-Queens) would allow every individual driver to become the account holder, overriding the TLC’s current rule which gives the right only to medallion owners.
Under the TLC, lease drivers—over 85% of the workforce—must depend on the garage or broker to collect their credit card incomes. So the money is delayed, not always guaranteed and drivers are charged a 5% surcharge. Owner-drivers, while they can be the account holder, must depend on the vendor’s bank for the processing. So they also pay extra surcharges for processing compared to other businesses.
By the end of the day, it was clear that drivers had won more council support, showed the urgency to pass the Intro and exposed the many financial hardships of the TLC’s credit card system, from long delays in getting paid, loss in fare due to system malfunctions and the minimum loss of 5% on every transaction, including on the tip and toll, and a constant shortage of cash in a cash-driven business. Councilman Garodnick expressed his support for pre-authorization on flat fares.
The TLC claimed letting drivers become the account holders would destroy the industry. They claimed that drivers would have to pay a $10,000 fee to allow for wireless transactions and that the vendors were offering the lowest rates available. TLC also testified that Intro 705 changes the terms of the contracts between the city and the vendors which is unconstitutional. The TLC could not answer Councilman Martinez’s question on why taxi drivers can’t be account holders the way local bodega owners are.
Drivers were both outraged and amused by the TLC’s large claims. “I know my broker doesn’t have to pay $10,000 even though he’s the account holder. So why would I as the driver?” laughed Beresford Simmons. Others asked how the TLC knew what the lowest rates were when they hadn’t given drivers the chance like other city’s drivers. Boston recently passed a regulation requiring the acceptance of credit cards but letting drivers be the account holder and make their own deals.
Garages, who the TLC take about 1.25% (of the 5% surcharge) for their “services,” said they are not making a profit and are losing money from the record keeping and extra staff. “If the poor garages are suffering so much, then why are they fighting to keep the system,” asked Osman Chowdhury. Drivers said there was a solution to the garages’ burdens: let us become the account holders!
“It is totally undemocratic how the TLC has done it,” said Balvinder Singh. “They want the companies to make a profit from our work.” Victor Salazar added, “As an owner-operator, I want my partner to have the same rights I do. I don’t want to control his money. That is his right.” Mr. Salazar added that he faces many problems in trying to solve problems with the GPS vendor and would have prefer dealing with his own bank which is a federally-regulated institution, not a TLC-contract holder.
The Transportation Committee public hearing was required by city charter in order for the Intro to move forward. Now, the committee must vote (at which time amendments can be made to change the original Intro) and then send it to the whole 51-member City Council for a vote. Once it passes the council, the Intro will go to the Mayor who has sixty days to sign or veto. If vetoed, the Intro would go back to the council where a 2/3 vote is needed to override a veto.
Councilmembers Liu and Weprin were joined by Transportation Committee members Daniel Garodnick, Miguel Martinez, Vincent Ignizio, Darlene Mealy, Diana Reyna, G. Oliver Koppell, and Jessica Lappin. TLC Chairman Mathew Daus did not come himself for the council grilling. Drivers were joined by Ed Ott, Executive Director of the one-million worker, four hundred union Central Labor Council.
Drivers pledged to continue the fight until 705 passes and a fair credit card system is in place.
City Council Hearing
CITY COUNCIL HEARING TO PROTECT TAXI DRIVERS AGAINST 5% CREDIT CARD SURCHARGE
NYTWA Calls on All Taxi Drivers to Join Hearing January 14 @ 12:30pm at City Hall
City Council Transportation Committee Hearing Wednesday, January 14, 12:30pm City Hall Subway: 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge R/W to City Hall; 1/2/3/A/C/E to Chambers Enter on Broadway or Centre St. and go through security.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance is calling on all taxi drivers and community supporters to come out for a City Council hearing on a bill to stop the 5% surcharge drivers lose on credit card fares. The Transportation Committee is holding the hearing on Wednesday, January 14th at 12:30pm at City Hall in the Chambers on the 2nd floor. The Committee must first vote on the bill, Intro 705, before the rest of the council can pass it as a new law.
Intro 705 would let every individual driver become the account holder. So the monies would go directly to drivers’ accounts and drivers would not lose the 5% they currently lose on even the tip and toll. Even though banks typically charge 1.5% processing fee, NYC taxi drivers also pay surcharges to the garage or broker they lease the taxi and medallion from as well as to the GPS vendor who supply the credit card machines. The 5% loss is on top of the extra costs drivers are paying for the machines and higher leases.
The Council bill would overturn the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s regulation which lets only medallion owners become the account holder. “We have been working on this for almost one year now. The January 14th hearing is the most important hearing for drivers to stop the 5%,” said Bhairavi Desai, NYTWA Executive Director. Several Council Members have already signed on to the bill. NYTWA is also demanding pre-authorization for all flat fares and a sign informing passengers that they have to pay the driver even if the machine fails.
“The 5% is a big cut out of our income, especially in this economy where there are fewer passengers. We take the risks, pay the lease and do the work for 12-hour shifts. Why should the garages steal our income” says Organizing Committee Member Osman Chowdhury. Veteran driver Beresford Simmons added, “Our (2007) strikes got the council’s attention. We can win this if drivers stand together and pack the hearing room.”
NYTWA is asking drivers to call 212-627-5248 to sign-up to testify or with stories about losses due to the credit cards. “If drivers have proof of loss of income because the garage didn’t pay them, the card declined or the reader broke down, it’s urgent that they call the union office before the hearing,” said Ms. Desai.
Shooting of Enois Malbranche
Monday, 08 September 2008 00:00
STATEMENT OF NEW YORK TAXI WORKERS ALLIANCE ON SHOOTING OF ENOIS MALBRANCHE ON AUGUST 7, 2008 IN BROOKLYN
Enois Malbranche, only 62, just lost his wife of over 20 years less than two months ago and this evening, learned that he will have to have his right eye removed because of the scarring from a shooting by three female passengers early Thursday morning.
Enois had been robbed at gunpoint, just a few blocks from where he picked up the women, and after taking his money, while he remained seated in his front seat, they shot him in the face - the bullet striking the top of his left cheekbone, just beneath the eye, and traveled diagonally to his right eye socket.
Enois is recuperating, surrounded by the love of his three children, two sons, 35 and 21 and one daughter - just turned 20. In a span of less than two months, this is the third tragedy that has struck this loving Haitian family.
Enois first received his hack license 20 years ago and began driving full-time six years ago, after losing his job as a cook when the kosher deli where he worked closed down. He worked tirelessly over the past two years to support and care for his ailing wife, in her battle against cancer. He is the proud father of three beautiful, brave, kind-hearted children, in whose honesty and goodness it is easy to see how a grieving husband would find the will to survive. We too are in awe of his two college students in their twenties and a wise elder brother who teaches for a living.
Council Members Urge TLC for Fuel Surcharge
Wednesday, 23 July 2008 00:00
Council Members Urge TLC for Fuel Surcharge 15 CCM’s Urge TLC to Enact Emergency Rulemaking
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2008 2:00pm City Hall Steps City Council Members are calling on the Taxi and Limousine Commission to enact a fuel surcharge to help city’s taxi drivers reeling from the impact of high gas prices. Drivers have been paying $250 to $300 more per week or over $1,000 more a month, compared to even just 18 months ago. Drivers pay for the cost of gas one hundred percent on their own. Twelve Council members sent a letter on July 17th to TLC Chair Mathew Daus, urging emergency rulemaking on the surcharge and enforcement to ensure the money goes only to drivers and not taxi companies.
The Council letter calls the impact of gas prices and the 5% taxi drivers lose in income on credit card fares, “an enormous economic burden on one of our hardest working labor forces.”
City Council Member Diana Reyna (D, Brooklyn), who initiated the support drive, says “Working families can’t afford to lose $300 of their weekly income to gas prices. We should protect drivers the same way airlines protect themselves.”
Taxi Workers Alliance Petitions TLC for $1 Fuel Surcharge
Monday, 07 July 2008 00:00
Taxi Workers Alliance Petitions TLC for $1 Fuel Surcharge New York Cabbies Seek the Same Relief as 11 Other Cities Monday, July 7, 2008 2:00pm Outside TLC Headquarters: 40 Rector Street
Taxi drivers reeling from gas prices are looking for some TLC from the Taxi and Limousine Commission with a $1 fuel surcharge and an end to the 5% fee paid by drivers every time the passenger swipes the credit card. The 11,000-member New York Taxi Workers Alliance is calling for emergency rulemaking. “The TLC has the legal authority, it’s now a question of political will and morality. Drivers are losing between $1,100- $1,400 each month in hard-earned income – that’s rent money for a working family. Drivers are suffering,” said Bhairavi Desai, NYTWA Executive Director.
Media Room 
