To: tang11111@hotmail.com; demerdard@aol.com; george@chicagodispatcher.com
Subject: Re: meeting
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 20:48:22 -0400
From: nytwa1@aol.com
Oh my gosh Yi! Tools? You haven't met my colleagues yet, have you! They're my friends, my comrades, my family and my teachers. We all learn from eachother and have an enduring love for one another. I was 23 when I started in this industry. They've helped raise me and I don't take that lightly. We have an Organizing Comittee of currently 17 of us who vote by consensus. Our monthly meetings are usually 8 hours not because we argue, but actually, because we discuss in the most minutest detail about everything. We give play by plays of discussions, meetings, conversations which not all of us may have been present for. During membership meetings, we vote by majority. But even then, we have open mics for various ideas and then vote. But all of this is possible because there is an overall framework which binds our unity. We all believe in the fundamentals that we are a drivers' UNION - lease drivers and owner-ops; but not garages or brokers or any other corporations. While we may have tactical alliances here and there - our 1998 strike was industry-wide - the organization belongs to the drivers. We also recognize that change must be systemic. It's not about personalities or individuals doing bad things. It's about the leasing system that has gutted drivers' rights over the past 2 decades in our city. We also don't shy away from opposing the regulators. There are groups in NYC, for example, now, who vehemently oppose the GPS. But, because they don't want to jeopardize their cozy relationship with the regulators, they refuse to take a public stance. This is simply wrong. Our job is to defend the men and women without whom this industry would simply not exist. And we can't bow down to anyone. No matter what happens at the end of the day, our members, we hope, can always rely on the simple fact that we will fight like hell for them. That for us is the lasting definition of what it means to be a union. I'm sorry if this is preachy! Swear, I'm just describing it from my side! Bhairavi
_____________________________________________________________________________
Bhairavi Desai
New York Taxi Workers Alliance
37 East 28th Street, Suite #302
New York, NY 10016
212-627-5248 Phone
646-638-4446 Fax
nytwa1@aol.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Yi Tang
To: demerdard@aol.com; george@chicagodispatcher.com
Sent: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 8:14 pm
Subject: RE: meeting
I believe that the most qualified "outsider" is Bhairavi. If possible, I would like to hear some more about her own 10+ years experience in building the TWA, and how to purify the organization, and for her to become the "insider".
Are all members of the TWA tools of Bhairavi, and to allow her tear up the taxi industry? Is she just using drivers, and to make them all thinkless, speechless, and careless? What she has to do if they don't agree with her? How does she hide her angers if she has any?
Would it be that simple to do everything in my way, or just get out of my way? (for reputations, eagles, and or efforts?)
Please entertain us, Bhairavi!
Yi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Demerdard@aol.com
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 13:06:01 -0400
Subject: Re: meeting
To: george@chicagodispatcher.com
Dear Mr. Lutfallah:
Thank you for your kind invitation. Let me know if you ever decide to call a meeting. I am hoping that even though I am a classic 'outsider' you might stoop to allow me to show active concern.
Straight up, sir. I'm semi-retired. I don't need to take time to be involved. I had chosen to do so a few months back when I realized I had time on my hands that should be better used. If you and the 'insiders' don't want a lawyer with close to 40 years of cab industry experience giving away his time, suit yourself.
One way or another, I see no reason for you to kick at me. I stand to gain nothing. I seek no profit. It had only been my goal to give away time and talent based on decades of taxi industry experience. If your drivers have no use for that, I'll move along.
Donald Nathan
In a message dated 10/1/2007 11:55:22 A.M. Central Daylight Time, george@chicagodispatcher.com writes:
Mr. Nathan:
Thank you for your offer to allow me to moderate your meeting. I'm honored but I respectfully decline.
There are drivers out there right now who are doing something - taking action to get organized.
Then there are those who want to spend their time talking and arguing and talking and arguing. I have no interest in spending my time this way, particularly when the agenda is to find ways to reconcile differences with outsiders who have been damaging the efforts and reputations of me and other taxi drivers who have been working to help fellow drivers.
My advice for any sincere person wanting to help is simply this: If you see a driver or a group of drivers working to empower and advance themselves, go to them. Don't ask them to come to you. That's a waste of their time. They are taxi drivers and don't have time to sit around Starbucks sipping lattes. Meet them at O'Hare when they are in line to get a fare. Ask them how you can contribute. If you're a driver, ask how you can join.
Mr. Nathan, if you want to help, then help. Nobody's stopping you.
Regards,
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher / Taxicab Times
-------- Original Message --------
From: demerdard@aol.com
Date: Sun, September 30, 2007 9:10 pm
To: george@chicagodispatcher.com
Dear George:
You moderate it. It isn't important at all to me to be a peacemaker. Understand, young man, I have no axe to grind. If I've said anything that leads you to believe otherwise, I want to disabuse you of the notion. If I've offended you in some way, I humbly apologize. It was never my intention to tweak you. That would be counterproductive. There is nothing to gain by attacking you. It was never my intention to do so. If you had the misimpression I had, please forgive me.
As for my status as an 'Outsider', you're dead wrong. But you don't know me from a bale of hay. Granted I haven't driven a cab since I was licensed to practice law, but I've represented thousands of drivers both as plaintiffs and defendants in litigation in courts all through the Chicago Metropolitan area. My first job in civil law was on the lot of Flash Cab at 4711 N. Clark. From '79 to the time of Art Dickholtz' death, I represented Flash drivers on both sides of the bar in tort litigation. In the mid '90's, I had an office in the building of American United Cab Association. I still represent some of the owners and drivers in the AUCA, although it's a tiny part of my practice at this point.
In 2001, I closed offices in Chicago and moved to rural Monterey County, California - sick of hassling in the courts and having been modestly successful, not needing gobs of money to get along. It was too slow a lifestyle, however. So I re-established myself in practice in the suburbs commuting back and forth from California. I now spend nine or ten days here practicing law and then five or six with my family East of Eden.
I'm not ashamed to have attended the University of Four Wheels. Over seven years, I was able to amass over 200,000 miles of client counseling. It did me some good. I'd like to think the years that followed didn't make an 'Outsider' out of me.
When Jane Byrne tried to force drivers to wear uniforms, I filed the lawsuit that stopped the concept dead in its tracks. In those days, I took on such causes to establish my name in an industry I enjoyed. Now that I am 'semi-retired', I have no need to make a name for myself. Having put all but one of my kids through college, I'm now in a position to give back to the trade that gave me what I now have.
I stand ready to use the courts for the good of the drivers. Avail yourself of my willingness to give time if you like. Normally I bill it out at $250 per hour. My meter clicks pretty fast. Or pass it up if you think it isn't going to help taxi drivers. I think that would be like shooting yourself in the foot, but I've seen lots of people who do that over the years. I stand ready to support anyone who stands in solidarity with my brothers and sisters on the streets. Again, I have no axe to grind, no financial interest to advance.
You suit yourself. But you also be sure to be the one to moderate any meeting. I don't need to do it.
Donald Nathan
-----Original Message-----
From: George Lutfallah
To: Demerdard@aol.com
Mr. Nathan
You wrote, 'For reasons I find impossible to fathom, all the parties who say they want to organize drivers are constantly at each others' throats. No one seems willing to listen to anyone else. Yi Tang and I have found it impossible to get them to sit in the same room together. How can we expect to get anywhere without uniting?'
Here's something for you to fathom: While you play yourself off as some magnanimous peace maker, I seem to recall that when Mr. Weiss and Ms. Desai both called me a traitor, you wrote the following to Ms. Desai: 'Thank you for calling it as it is. It's unfortunate to have to say it, but at least Weiss and you are people with courage enough to lay it on the line.'
So Mr. Nathan, where do you come off as this Great Uniter? You don't know me. If you think I'm going to attend some meeting because Donald Nathan will be mediating it, think again. I won't go because you are mediating it.
Since that time in which you so readily agreed with Mr. Wolf and Ms. Desai, I have not heard from you recanting your position. I have not gotten a phone call from you wanting to hear my side of things. I haven't gotten an email from you asking me to elaborate on any given point. If you ever changed your mind about me or my position, you never made me aware of it. And if you haven't changed your mind and do agree that I'm a traitor, you shouldn't want me at your meetings.
Having said that, I do not know your intentions in regards to helping Chicago taxi drivers. If they're good, I would certainly like to see you involved and providing assistance to Ms. Callahan and other drivers who are making an honest effort to organize themselves. For my part, my door is open and if you'd like to share your position, as always I'm willing to listen. And if you have any questions about my beliefs that you haven't gotten from reading fi ve-plus years of the Chicago Dispatcher, just ask. But until this happens, I reject you as a mediator or as an honest broker trying to bring together parties with opposing viewpoints.
The burden of proof is on you. While you may find this impossible to fathom, your independence and objectivity aren't as ostensible as you may believe. And it is your responsibility to demonstrate that you are honestly trying to help drivers and that your intentions are in fact good. What's in it for you? Nothing? When an outsider comes in and supposedly wants to help drivers out of the goodness of his heart, I ask questions. That's my job.
Regards,
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher / Taxicab Times
3581 W. Cortland, R
Chicago, IL 60647
Cell
847) 297-8300
Fax 847) 655-2865
george@chicagodispatcher.com
Visit www.CabMarket.com for all your taxi industry needs!
-------- Original Message --------
From: Demerdard@aol.com
Date: Sun, September 30, 2007 4:45 pm
To: NYTWA1@aol.com, tang11111@hotmail.com, melissacci@yahoo.com
Thank you for your kind words and for the strength you give drivers in Chicago. Although I am less than heartened by Judge Berman's rulings, I'm sure there has to be a silver lining to the cloud that I just have a hard time seeing. See my comments below.
What I would hope is that the lawsuit is going to help galvanize even more drivers to unite behind you in your efforts to give them a better tomorrow.
My principal interest, however, is with drivers in Chicago. For reasons I find impossible to fathom, all the parties who say they want to organize drivers are constantly at each others' throats. No one seems willing to listen to anyone else. Yi Tang and I have found it impossible to get them to sit in the same room together. How can we expect to get anywhere without uniting? Even working together in solidarity in New York, you've had so many challenges and problems.
Any thoughts would be welcomed - we have another organizing meeting scheduled for 10/20.
Donald Nathan
In a message dated 9/30/2007 4:02:06 P.M. Central Daylight Time, NYTWA1 writes:
Hi everyone,
The lawsuit is by no means over.
When a federal judge makes a suggestion that the parties should negoti ate in good faith in anticipation of a status hearing on 10/10, I expect he means it.
And the Judge did not knock out our standing.
Noted in my previous e-mail below. I think Judge Berman was dead wrong about garage drivers not having standing to sue, and he would likely be reversed on the issue.
In fact, Judge Berman said NYTWA and drivers who own the car and lease the medallion (Driver-Owned-Vehicle operators) did have standing. On garage drivers, he said it was less clear. But no one was knocked out. That is a successful precedent that we are proud of. Also, Judge Berman said TLC's claim that there would not be economic harm was not substantiated and was open to further discovery.
I would hope the TLC is peppered with discovery requests all of which would be germane in light of Judge Berman's ruling on the question of whether economic harm had been suffered.
Not getting a TRO and p reliminary injunction is not the end of the world. In our struggles, we have to exhaust every single strategy available to us. And that's what NYTWA has been doing. We don't have UAW's war chest - and that's only because unlike all of us, they have collective bargaining and dues check off under the NLRB - but we do have an unprecedented mobilization and unity of drivers in the largest taxi workforce in the world, the best members in the world who despite so much opposition, confusion and criticism, have stood strong, strong and courageous. We love them and rest assured, we won't give up.
Right on, Sister Desai. We have a few men and women of such courage here too. They just need to learn how to listen to one another and to work together.
Please also allow me this time to thank all of you in Chicago who have been sending us messages of hope and solidarity through all of this. It means the world to us. Please know that you have all of our good wishes, strength, solidarity and love for justice in Chicago.
We stand with you shoulder to shoulder.
In solidarity,
Bhairavi
They'll never wear us down.
Donald Nathan
Former Chicago Public Passenger Vehicle Chauffeur #11473
Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission #2019221
State Bar of Georgia #565490
