|
|
|
|
|
|
South Asian Network |
|
Home
South Asian Network
|
|
August 12, 2005 Dear Friend, We write to ask you to join us in the struggle for thousands of Los Angeles families in their effort to improve their lives and working conditions. The project involves a multi-faceted campaign to organize Los Angeles taxi workers and to address systemic inequities in the Los Angeles taxi cab industry that exploit taxi cab workers. This letter is to give you some background information about the project and request your support on behalf of the taxi workers. As in many cities, taxi workers in Los Angeles work under an abusive and oppressive scheme established by owners of large taxi cab franchises. The worker abuses that we have uncovered to date in this industry include little or no political power; non-responsive, non-inclusive cab companies with no accountability to their shareholders or their drivers; excessively prohibitive regulation of the taxi worker by local governments with no relation to passenger safety or public benefit; lack of livable wages and an unconscionable economic imbalance; no health or retirement benefits of any kind; extreme working shifts and hours, often for 7 days a week with no breaks. One example of these inequities is that taxi drivers have to pay for and maintain “liability insurance” to protect the big companies-- not the workers-- from passenger lawsuits, while the workers themselves have no life insurance or death benefits in what is one of the most dangerous occupations in our country! Originally organized by the South Asian Network, we are proud to be writing this letter as members of the newly formed Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance. As we discussed on July 30 at a “town hall” with the taxi workers, this new organization – Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance – is already growing. Taxi workers from the South Bay, who have been organizing for worker power in their own cities, have joined our efforts. Similar alliances have formed in Canada and other parts of the United States. We have spoken with organizers from New York and Alexandria, Virginia, so they, too, are aware of the challenges facing Los Angeles taxi workers and the taxi workers’ courageous efforts to bring about change. We are proud to be part of the taxi workers’ efforts and to partner with them to bring not only unity, but real justice, to taxi workers in Los Angeles. In the coming months, we will be in touch again. At this point, we want to introduce you to these important efforts and invite you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Taxi drivers are invaluable members of the Los Angeles community and we reach out to you because we know you share our belief that they should be afforded the dignity and respect they deserve. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Sincerely, The Taxi Workers Advisory Group Betty Hung ● Hamid Khan ● Chirag Shah ● Julie Su ● Steve Zrucky |
