Taxi Workers Alliance
Taxi Workers Alliance | |
 | |
| Founded | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Location | |
Key people | Bhairavi Desai, Founding Member |
| Affiliations | AFL–CIO, ITF |
| Website | www |
.jpg)
The Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA) is a United States labor union that was founded in February 1998 by organizers in New York City, as the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA). On August 3, 2011, the TWA made history when it became the 57th affiliate of the AFL–CIO. TWA is the first non-traditional workforce made up of independent contractors who don't work for an hourly wage to be granted membership into the AFL–CIO, the oldest labor federation in the country.[1] The Executive Council of the AFL–CIO voted unanimously "to include the TWA into the house of labor with a national unionize taxi drivers throughout the United States".[2] The union is made up of 200,000 taxi workers operating 100,000 vehicles serving 1 billion riders per year.
Origins of the union
[edit]The Taxi Workers Alliance emerged from the organizing efforts of the founding member, Bhairavi Desai. Desai founded the TWA four years after graduating from Rutgers University.
In May 1998 Desai organized the first taxi workers strike to occur in New York City in 30 years. Over 90 percent of the taxi drivers joined the strike with a demonstration of 2,000 yellow cabs lined up at 14th Street and Avenue D. Forty thousand drivers parked their taxis and refused to work to protest the city policing of their industry.[2] In February 1998, Desai and other organizers founded the New York Taxi Workers Alliance.[3]
During the 2013 AFL–CIO Convention, Bhairavi Desai, the Executive Director of the Alliance was elected to the AFL–CIO Executive Council.
Chapters
[edit]The Taxi Workers Alliance has active chapters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New York City, New York, and San Francisco, California. The National describes its role as helping to "embolden the local chapters".[4] The national officers work to strategize on key campaigns and organizing drives with the local chapters. The national chapter works to secure resources to help with membership recruitment, dues development, and institution-building.
The Taxi Workers Alliance's most active chapter remains the one in New York. Over 15,000 taxi cab drivers are currently members of the NYC Chapter. More than 90 percent of NYC's cab drivers are immigrants, belonging mostly to the South Asian diaspora from countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.[5]
Major accomplishments
[edit]In August 2018, New York city voted to stop issuing new ride-share licenses for one year, as well as enacted a minimum wage for for-hire vehicle drivers.[6][7][8] The vote was intended to regulate the for-hire vehicle industry and prevent taxi medallion prices from falling further.[8]
Marblegate Asset Management, one of the largest lenders to taxi-medallion holders, agreed to forgive $70 million in debt in 2020.[9] Marblegate, the city government, and the NYTWA agreed in November 2021 to reduce medallion holders' loans to no more than $170,000.[10][11] 2021 New York City Taxi Workers' Alliance – protesting the debt incurred from Taxi medallions. The agreement ended the local's 15 day hunger strike that was joined by then New York State Representative and future Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani, who participated in the last 12 days of the strike.[12]
The city launched the Medallion Relief Program in September 2022, forgiving $225 million in debt within one month.[13][14]
Long-term goals
[edit]Currently the Taxi Workers Alliance does not have any collective bargaining rights as they represent a non-traditional workforce. Taxi cab drivers are not covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act which protects workers' safety and grants overtime pay.[2] In 2011, Desai and other organizers were hopeful that the affiliation with AFL–CIO would help TWA build a mass base of workers that could build their political influence and resources in order to one day win collective bargaining rights.
References
[edit]- ^ "New York Taxi Workers Alliance". nytwa.org. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ a b c Flanders, Laura (September 16, 2013). "Bhairavi Desai Taxi Workers Alliance Elected AFL-CIO Executive Council". The Nation. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ Wadler, Joyce (Dec 8, 1999). "PUBLIC LIVES; An Unlikely Organizer as Cabdrivers United". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ Bihari, Atul (Oct 11, 2005). "NRI, New York taxi drivers organizer wins Ford Foundation award". NRIinternet.com. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
- ^ "Union Members Feature: National Taxi Workers Alliance". NATCA. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on Jun 30, 2023.
- ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (August 8, 2018). "New York City Votes to Cap Uber and Lyft Vehicles in a Crackdown". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
number of for-hire vehicles in the city has surged to more than 100,000 vehicles, from about 63,000 in 2015, according to the city.
- ^ O'Brien, Sara Ashley (August 8, 2018). "New York just capped the number of Uber, Lyft vehicles in the city". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ a b Wodinsky, Shoshana (August 8, 2018). "In major defeat for Uber and Lyft, New York City votes to limit ride-hailing cars". The Verge. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
- ^ Berger, Paul (September 13, 2020). "Investment Firm Forgives $70 Million in New York City Taxi-Cab Debt". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Sadeque, Samira (November 9, 2021). "With relief deal, New York City taxi drivers no longer face 'debt beyond their lifetime'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Venkatraman, Sakshi (November 4, 2021). "'New dawn' for NYC taxi drivers after mayor agrees to debt relief". NBC News. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Salam, Erum (4 November 2021). "This article is more than 4 years old New York City taxi drivers end hunger strike after reaching deal on debt relief". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ^ Cuza, Bobby (September 30, 2022). "Taxi drivers, elected officials cheer debt relief program". Spectrum News NY1 New York City. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Parry, Bill (September 27, 2022). "Taxi medallion debt relief program opens for long-suffering drivers in Queens, across NYC – QNS.com". QNS.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.