The federal law suit filed is a big news.
The mechanics do have a claim for overtime pay, regardless what the compnay says that they are not its "employees".
Good job, George!
Mr. Tang
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
so now instead of no news oncea month, i can get no news 4 times amonth? take a class in arithmetic, george. 4X0 still equals 0. if you make it out of softer paper and put the commissioners face on every page, i can save money on toilet paper
May 8, 2008 - Chicago Cab Company Allegedly Violates the FLSA
Caffarelli & Siegel files federal lawsuit against Chicago cab company, alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act for failing to pay overtime rates.
On April 30, 2008, Caffarelli & Siegel filed a three-count Fair Labor Standards Act complaint against the Chicago Carriage Cab Corp. and 2617 Auto Repair, Inc. The Chicago Carriage Cab Corp. is a Chicago company engaged in the taxi cab transportation business. Sharing the same address, 2617 Auto Repair, Inc. provides mechanical service and maintenance for the vehicles utilized by Chicago Carriage Cab.
The claim, Vasquez et al. v. Chicago Carriage Cab Corp. et al., No. 08-c-2473, was filed by two mechanics employed by the Defendant Companies, on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated employees. The named Plaintiffs allege that the Defendants failed to pay them time and one-half (“overtime”) for hours worked in excess of forty (40) per workweek. Rather, the Defendants paid their mechanics their regular hourly rate (“straight time”) in cash after forty hours. The Defendants are alleged to have committed this violation willfully, since it is alleged that they knew or should have known about their requirements under the FLSA.
Pursuant to the applicable sections of the FLSA, all employees who are similarly situated to the named Plaintiffs will have the opportunity to “opt in” to the lawsuit. The named Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and all putative class members, have demanded a judgment in the amount of back pay equal to all unpaid overtime compensation accrued in the three years preceding the filing of her Complaint. Further, under the FLSA the named Plaintiffs and all putative class members will be entitled to pre-judgment interest, liquidated damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, and any further relief that the Court deems appropriate.
The case is before the Honorable Judge Gettleman and Magistrate Judge Cox, and is in the very beginning stages of litigation.
i am with you mr. tang. how else would we know such things? chicago dispatcher always does a great job. it's nice to finally hear one of you say it. i'm sure it means a lot to george and jonathan.
this makes me laugh. if not for chicago dispatcher you would have no idea what is going on in chicago taxi business.
bilder,
We see people like you for what you really are. You are one of the people trying to tear down the only newspaper that has been on our side for many years. Where were you before? Where was anybody? Haram.
Mohammed
"bilder",
Why don't you start your own newspaper or website if you think so poorly of the Chicago Dispatcher or CabMarket.com?
You're not even paying for either one!
Tell us some "news" or shut the hell up!
I wish I could wipe my ass with your asinine attitude.
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
so now instead of no news oncea month, i can get no news 4 times amonth? take a class in arithmetic, george. 4X0 still equals 0. if you make it out of softer paper and put the commissioners face on every page, i can save money on toilet paper
see what i mean
he is begging for a beheading now
of course that would cause no damage whatsoever
Great, George.
We've needed a weekly for a long time and I am happy that you have the financial means to do it.
At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand.
Or, is it just in response to the new kid in town, The UTCC Voice, which is a very good publication?
I have noticed that no mention of it was made here or in the Dispatcher.
Congratulations are in order for UTCC and all the contributors to the first edition too.
Keep up the great work. The VOICE will be heard!
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
GEORGE AND JONATHAN ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANKS!! A+
Jonathan, your cold, matter of fact "tone" on page 13 (my lucky number!) "Drivers Sue City..." does not meet your usually higher standards of reportage.
It lacks the "heart" you have shown in your other fine efforts in the past.
It is a difficult subject indeed to handle. I don't blame you for just throwing out a wordy blurb.
Of curse you could have listed the court date in the "Events" section and saved yourself the trouble.
I was a little surprised that you did not interview me or any of the co-plaintiffs or the attorney in depth, like you did for the "Clowns" article last year.
Remember, you said you wanted the complete story?
I believed you were sincere then and I know you did your sincerest to trash me and the CPTDA.
Your article about the injunction does not tell the full story, the "WHY" for example.
Such a blatant omission makes the article a little trashy to me, even considering that there was no interview with any of the participants of the legal action.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Great, George.
We've needed a weekly for a long time and I am happy that you have the financial means to do it.
At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand.
Or, is it just in response to the new kid in town, The UTCC Voice, which is a very good publication?
I have noticed that no mention of it was made here or in the Dispatcher.
Congratulations are in order for UTCC and all the contributors to the first edition too.
Keep up the great work. The VOICE will be heard!
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
GEORGE AND JONATHAN ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANKS!! A+
Mr. Weiss,
Thank you for sharing your opinions regarding my story in this week's issue. It's nice to hear such commentary, be it positive or negative, as I believe it will help me grow as a journalist.
Please feel free to call me or stop by anytime you wish to share your thoughts on any past, present or future stories of mine.
Regards,
Jonathan Bullington
After reading some of these messages, I'm glad to see that everybody can start getting along and stay that way. We need each other to help each other.
Hi Wolf,
"At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand."
It's funny that you make that observation. Actually when I started thinking about a newspaper for the taxi industry in late 2001, the newspaper industry was in trouble, as was the cab industry since it was post 9/11.
A lot of people said I was crazy to start a newspaper and for it to be for the taxi industry just made it an even worse decision to many of my advisers.
In spite of that, I took a chance and somehow it's worked.
Our decision to go weekly was made prior to our knowledge of the UTCC Voice. It was actually something I'd been wanting to do for many years. Jonathan and I had been planning it since about March and I announced the decision to my staff on Monday, April 21.
There was no mention of the UTCC Voice in this issue, though we had talked about it and had planned on writing about it. We were very limited for space and couldn't include all the stories we wanted to include. This is always the case.
As some people have pointed out on this forum, we had nothing on the CCO election either and you pointed out that the story about you could have been longer.
These are accurate and fair observations. As an independent newspaper we don't have unlimited space and have to make complicated decisions. For example, I would have liked to include something on the UTCC Voice and the CCO election, among other things. Both stories are still on a long list of potential stories.
People tend to think that the things that are important to them are the most important things, period. Being a newspaper for the industry, we have to look at all angles and be as objective as possible. In just about every issue, somebody thinks they got the short end of the stick and we field these issues all the time.
Somebody is upset because their story didn't make it in the issue. Somebody is upset because they didn't like the spot they were in. If they were on the bottom of the cover page, they want to know why they weren't at the top. If the news was favorable to them, they want to know why it wasn't more favorable. If there was negative news or an opinion about somebody, they take it personally and want to know why we printed it.
I get messages and phone calls about things we have included and not included all the time. It's just part of the territory. Your injunction story was important, which is why we included it. It could have been longer but that would mean that we would have had to sacrifice something else. We would have also probably been compelled to point out a lot of negative things about your injunction as well. Serious mistakes were made and not everybody is in favor of your strategy. If we didn't include anything about your injunction and had something about the CCO election in its place, or the UTCC Voice, I would have heard about that as well. Again, that just goes with the territory.
There is so much going on these days that we are trying to include as many items as possible. In doing so, the length of some stories have to be shortened. Publishing an independent newspaper is expensive.
I hope this clears things up.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
For the record:
I never sent the Chicago Dispatcher a press release about the CCO election results, as the results have yet to be determined and there's not much "news" to report to them at this time.
I have had no issue with the amount of coverage the CCO has or has not received in the Chicago Dispatcher.
Keep up the good work you started a long time ago, Mr. Lutfallah. You too, Jonathan Bullington.
For all the critics of your reporting and editorials, I've yet to see a single printed lie pointed out to me.
Include more letters like Mr. Abunassar's, and I think most of the criticism will be seen as it should: the selfish whinings of a few. The silent majority looks forward to the Chicago Dispatcher.
I wish more of them had time to speak up and use this website.
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Hi Wolf,
"At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand."
It's funny that you make that observation. Actually when I started thinking about a newspaper for the taxi industry in late 2001, the newspaper industry was in trouble, as was the cab industry since it was post 9/11.
A lot of people said I was crazy to start a newspaper and for it to be for the taxi industry just made it an even worse decision to many of my advisers.
In spite of that, I took a chance and somehow it's worked.
Our decision to go weekly was made prior to our knowledge of the UTCC Voice. It was actually something I'd been wanting to do for many years. Jonathan and I had been planning it since about March and I announced the decision to my staff on Monday, April 21.
There was no mention of the UTCC Voice in this issue, though we had talked about it and had planned on writing about it. We were very limited for space and couldn't include all the stories we wanted to include. This is always the case.
As some people have pointed out on this forum, we had nothing on the CCO election either and you pointed out that the story about you could have been longer.
These are accurate and fair observations. As an independent newspaper we don't have unlimited space and have to make complicated decisions. For example, I would have liked to include something on the UTCC Voice and the CCO election, among other things. Both stories are still on a long list of potential stories.
People tend to think that the things that are important to them are the most important things, period. Being a newspaper for the industry, we have to look at all angles and be as objective as possible. In just about every issue, somebody thinks they got the short end of the stick and we field these issues all the time.
Somebody is upset because their story didn't make it in the issue. Somebody is upset because they didn't like the spot they were in. If they were on the bottom of the cover page, they want to know why they weren't at the top. If the news was favorable to them, they want to know why it wasn't more favorable. If there was negative news or an opinion about somebody, they take it personally and want to know why we printed it.
I get messages and phone calls about things we have included and not included all the time. It's just part of the territory. Your injunction story was important, which is why we included it. It could have been longer but that would mean that we would have had to sacrifice something else. We would have also probably been compelled to point out a lot of negative things about your injunction as well. Serious mistakes were made and not everybody is in favor of your strategy. If we didn't include anything about your injunction and had something about the CCO election in its place, or the UTCC Voice, I would have heard about that as well. Again, that just goes with the territory.
There is so much going on these days that we are trying to include as many items as possible. In doing so, the length of some stories have to be shortened. Publishing an independent newspaper is expensive.
I hope this clears things up.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
Mr. foulks,
Have you ever met these two mechanics at CCC's garage?
Bengler Vasqquez & Olman Guerra are brave enough to stand up for their rights.
Are they employees or independent contractors, Mr. Foulks? Do you know any garages in Chicago that are doing the same like CCC?
Mr. Tang
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
For the record:
I never sent the Chicago Dispatcher a press release about the CCO election results, as the results have yet to be determined and there's not much "news" to report to them at this time.
I have had no issue with the amount of coverage the CCO has or has not received in the Chicago Dispatcher.
Keep up the good work you started a long time ago, Mr. Lutfallah. You too, Jonathan Bullington.
For all the critics of your reporting and editorials, I've yet to see a single printed lie pointed out to me.
Include more letters like Mr. Abunassar's, and I think most of the criticism will be seen as it should: the selfish whinings of a few. The silent majority looks forward to the Chicago Dispatcher.
I wish more of them had time to speak up and use this website.
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Hi Wolf,
"At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand."
It's funny that you make that observation. Actually when I started thinking about a newspaper for the taxi industry in late 2001, the newspaper industry was in trouble, as was the cab industry since it was post 9/11.
A lot of people said I was crazy to start a newspaper and for it to be for the taxi industry just made it an even worse decision to many of my advisers.
In spite of that, I took a chance and somehow it's worked.
Our decision to go weekly was made prior to our knowledge of the UTCC Voice. It was actually something I'd been wanting to do for many years. Jonathan and I had been planning it since about March and I announced the decision to my staff on Monday, April 21.
There was no mention of the UTCC Voice in this issue, though we had talked about it and had planned on writing about it. We were very limited for space and couldn't include all the stories we wanted to include. This is always the case.
As some people have pointed out on this forum, we had nothing on the CCO election either and you pointed out that the story about you could have been longer.
These are accurate and fair observations. As an independent newspaper we don't have unlimited space and have to make complicated decisions. For example, I would have liked to include something on the UTCC Voice and the CCO election, among other things. Both stories are still on a long list of potential stories.
People tend to think that the things that are important to them are the most important things, period. Being a newspaper for the industry, we have to look at all angles and be as objective as possible. In just about every issue, somebody thinks they got the short end of the stick and we field these issues all the time.
Somebody is upset because their story didn't make it in the issue. Somebody is upset because they didn't like the spot they were in. If they were on the bottom of the cover page, they want to know why they weren't at the top. If the news was favorable to them, they want to know why it wasn't more favorable. If there was negative news or an opinion about somebody, they take it personally and want to know why we printed it.
I get messages and phone calls about things we have included and not included all the time. It's just part of the territory. Your injunction story was important, which is why we included it. It could have been longer but that would mean that we would have had to sacrifice something else. We would have also probably been compelled to point out a lot of negative things about your injunction as well. Serious mistakes were made and not everybody is in favor of your strategy. If we didn't include anything about your injunction and had something about the CCO election in its place, or the UTCC Voice, I would have heard about that as well. Again, that just goes with the territory.
There is so much going on these days that we are trying to include as many items as possible. In doing so, the length of some stories have to be shortened. Publishing an independent newspaper is expensive.
I hope this clears things up.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
Mr. Tang,
I probably have met these two mechanics, especially if they work the night shift. I don't recognize their names. I'd more easily recognize their faces. Why do you ask?
I don't know if they are employees or independent contractors. I say it's almost certain that they are employees. Why do you ask?
What do you mean, "garages in Chicago that are doing the same like CCC"? And, why do you ask?
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Mr. foulks,
Have you ever met these two mechanics at CCC's garage?
Bengler Vasqquez & Olman Guerra are brave enough to stand up for their rights.
Are they employees or independent contractors, Mr. Foulks? Do you know any garages in Chicago that are doing the same like CCC?
Mr. Tang
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
For the record:
I never sent the Chicago Dispatcher a press release about the CCO election results, as the results have yet to be determined and there's not much "news" to report to them at this time.
I have had no issue with the amount of coverage the CCO has or has not received in the Chicago Dispatcher.
Keep up the good work you started a long time ago, Mr. Lutfallah. You too, Jonathan Bullington.
For all the critics of your reporting and editorials, I've yet to see a single printed lie pointed out to me.
Include more letters like Mr. Abunassar's, and I think most of the criticism will be seen as it should: the selfish whinings of a few. The silent majority looks forward to the Chicago Dispatcher.
I wish more of them had time to speak up and use this website.
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Hi Wolf,
"At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand."
It's funny that you make that observation. Actually when I started thinking about a newspaper for the taxi industry in late 2001, the newspaper industry was in trouble, as was the cab industry since it was post 9/11.
A lot of people said I was crazy to start a newspaper and for it to be for the taxi industry just made it an even worse decision to many of my advisers.
In spite of that, I took a chance and somehow it's worked.
Our decision to go weekly was made prior to our knowledge of the UTCC Voice. It was actually something I'd been wanting to do for many years. Jonathan and I had been planning it since about March and I announced the decision to my staff on Monday, April 21.
There was no mention of the UTCC Voice in this issue, though we had talked about it and had planned on writing about it. We were very limited for space and couldn't include all the stories we wanted to include. This is always the case.
As some people have pointed out on this forum, we had nothing on the CCO election either and you pointed out that the story about you could have been longer.
These are accurate and fair observations. As an independent newspaper we don't have unlimited space and have to make complicated decisions. For example, I would have liked to include something on the UTCC Voice and the CCO election, among other things. Both stories are still on a long list of potential stories.
People tend to think that the things that are important to them are the most important things, period. Being a newspaper for the industry, we have to look at all angles and be as objective as possible. In just about every issue, somebody thinks they got the short end of the stick and we field these issues all the time.
Somebody is upset because their story didn't make it in the issue. Somebody is upset because they didn't like the spot they were in. If they were on the bottom of the cover page, they want to know why they weren't at the top. If the news was favorable to them, they want to know why it wasn't more favorable. If there was negative news or an opinion about somebody, they take it personally and want to know why we printed it.
I get messages and phone calls about things we have included and not included all the time. It's just part of the territory. Your injunction story was important, which is why we included it. It could have been longer but that would mean that we would have had to sacrifice something else. We would have also probably been compelled to point out a lot of negative things about your injunction as well. Serious mistakes were made and not everybody is in favor of your strategy. If we didn't include anything about your injunction and had something about the CCO election in its place, or the UTCC Voice, I would have heard about that as well. Again, that just goes with the territory.
There is so much going on these days that we are trying to include as many items as possible. In doing so, the length of some stories have to be shortened. Publishing an independent newspaper is expensive.
I hope this clears things up.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
"I am a crook" speech:
And just like Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon, who coined the phrase, Foulks too, will be hounded out of office for "blunders and bafoonery".
Tricky Mike's stolen slogan is I'm a crook."
On the night of May 17, 2008, former employees of the Foulks reelection campaign broke into the CCO headquarters in the Chintown Flophouse building.
This incident began the unraveling of the Foulks Administration's abuses of power and illegal actions and the administration's efforts to cover up these activities.
This was followed by one of Foulk's and Department of Injustice officials saying, "Remember, we don't talk until we get a lawyer."
"The fare increase fiasco last summer was not even the first by the Foulks'CCO Members.
They had previously broken into the office of the Mayor's psychiatrist.
And in the Foulks tapes, he [Foulks] tells aides how to break into such places as the DCS offices.
Ticky Mike says,"In all my taxi life, I never profited, never profited from taxi service. I have earned not a cent. And all my years in taxi service, I have never obstructed justice or traffic. And I think too, that I can say ... that people have got to know whether or not their president's a crook. Well I'm a crook. I haven't earned an honset penny in my life."
A sad time in our taxi industry's history indeed, but with the current state of the organizers and wolf-like extremists threatening to blow up their taxis before arriving at their destinations, this reflects that the context of Flophousegate was certainly a simpler time.
Still, one song referring to the Flophouse legacy of distrust is still appropriate today: "Gimme Me Some Truth" screamed Beatle John Lennon
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
For the record:
I never sent the Chicago Dispatcher a press release about the CCO election results, as the results have yet to be determined and there's not much "news" to report to them at this time.
I have had no issue with the amount of coverage the CCO has or has not received in the Chicago Dispatcher.
Keep up the good work you started a long time ago, Mr. Lutfallah. You too, Jonathan Bullington.
For all the critics of your reporting and editorials, I've yet to see a single printed lie pointed out to me.
Include more letters like Mr. Abunassar's, and I think most of the criticism will be seen as it should: the selfish whinings of a few. The silent majority looks forward to the Chicago Dispatcher.
I wish more of them had time to speak up and use this website.
-Mike Foulks
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
Hi Wolf,
"At a time where almost every printed chronicle has cut back, laid off and discontinued sections of their publications it is a wonder that you can expand."
It's funny that you make that observation. Actually when I started thinking about a newspaper for the taxi industry in late 2001, the newspaper industry was in trouble, as was the cab industry since it was post 9/11.
A lot of people said I was crazy to start a newspaper and for it to be for the taxi industry just made it an even worse decision to many of my advisers.
In spite of that, I took a chance and somehow it's worked.
Our decision to go weekly was made prior to our knowledge of the UTCC Voice. It was actually something I'd been wanting to do for many years. Jonathan and I had been planning it since about March and I announced the decision to my staff on Monday, April 21.
There was no mention of the UTCC Voice in this issue, though we had talked about it and had planned on writing about it. We were very limited for space and couldn't include all the stories we wanted to include. This is always the case.
As some people have pointed out on this forum, we had nothing on the CCO election either and you pointed out that the story about you could have been longer.
These are accurate and fair observations. As an independent newspaper we don't have unlimited space and have to make complicated decisions. For example, I would have liked to include something on the UTCC Voice and the CCO election, among other things. Both stories are still on a long list of potential stories.
People tend to think that the things that are important to them are the most important things, period. Being a newspaper for the industry, we have to look at all angles and be as objective as possible. In just about every issue, somebody thinks they got the short end of the stick and we field these issues all the time.
Somebody is upset because their story didn't make it in the issue. Somebody is upset because they didn't like the spot they were in. If they were on the bottom of the cover page, they want to know why they weren't at the top. If the news was favorable to them, they want to know why it wasn't more favorable. If there was negative news or an opinion about somebody, they take it personally and want to know why we printed it.
I get messages and phone calls about things we have included and not included all the time. It's just part of the territory. Your injunction story was important, which is why we included it. It could have been longer but that would mean that we would have had to sacrifice something else. We would have also probably been compelled to point out a lot of negative things about your injunction as well. Serious mistakes were made and not everybody is in favor of your strategy. If we didn't include anything about your injunction and had something about the CCO election in its place, or the UTCC Voice, I would have heard about that as well. Again, that just goes with the territory.
There is so much going on these days that we are trying to include as many items as possible. In doing so, the length of some stories have to be shortened. Publishing an independent newspaper is expensive.
I hope this clears things up.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
