From the Chicago Dispatcher, July 23, 2008
Reader Opinions
A letter to all cabdrivers:
My cab driving brothers, do you know why we don't get consideration for a meter increase from Mayor Daley and the Chicago City Council?
I'll tell you why - because the wide majority of cabdrivers are foreigners who subsequently don't vote in our city's elections. You are doing nothing for them so they feel no need to do anything for you.
I believe this is America, the supposed land of equality. But if you are a foreign cabdriver in Chicago, it's screw you sir! It's screw you if you are any kind of cabdriver in Chicago. We pay a wheel tax as part of our lease each day for use of Chicago streets, yet we can't park our cabs in front of our own homes??? Are our cabs an eyesore? They can't be or they fail city inspections. John and Mary Citizen park their beat up, uninsured cars, vans and SUVs all over and they look like they're ready for an auto graveyard, yet they are allowed to park these junkers in front of their homes! Most cabdrivers who would like to park in front of their homes like to do so because their cab is their only means of transportation.
We have to pay a worker's compensation fee for the shifts that we work. Does anybody know anyone who as ever collected a penny from this frivolous charge? I don't know anyone ever collecting from this sham! Instead, how about we demand that the four-plus dollars they take from us each shift be put into a hospitalization health care plan for cabdrivers - a plan where cabdrivers could pay the extra money from their own pockets along with the daily shift premiums. Wouldn't you like to get something for the money they are taking from you? Right now your dollars are going to Mayor Daley's fat-cat insurance company buddies! I know I'd like some return on my money.
There are many other issues of wrong against Chicago cabdrivers - way too many to talk about here. Hopefully all of you get the picture I am trying to paint. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves about a century and a half ago. Mayor Daley and City Council have brought slavery back! The slaves are Chicago's cabdrivers. We pay special taxies and we collect taxes for the city and we get nothing in return but continual harassment from law enforcement all over town. This control our city has over us is exactly what slavery is! That's right, total control over a group of people with no rights or anything in return for that group.
Pardon me, but there is one more issue I feel we need to address at this time: the new interior inspection at 39th Street and the rules for failure in this new policy. Buses have writing on seats and windows; they have cuts on their seats and yet they aren't deemed unsafe for use on our city streets. They're not taken off the street until the problem has been corrected. So why are we any different? Aren't we both part of mass transit her in Chicago? Why are only cabs given this special honor? Is it our fault that some drunk or deviant (remember the law says we have to pickup anyone who flags us) cuts our shield or burns or seat or writes something somewhere in the cab? Absolutely not. Unlike any other business, we do not have the right to refuse service.
What we need to do NOW to get this respect is a full-term strike. Not a one-day strike (which isn't really a strike at all but a one-day work stoppage) but one that lasts until we get an increase in our fare rate and other concessions from the city. They call us ambassadors to Chicago yet they treat us like homeless people. We need to strike and strike now. By striking I mean we have to get off the seats of our cabs and out in the streets picketing! Picket at the airports, train and bus stations and, yes, even picket around City Hall.
Yes, we may lose some days of work to this movement, but in the long run the meter increase will more than make up for it. We have the power to bring this city to a very, very slow pace. When people start having a hard time getting to airports, meetings, and just getting around to where they have to go, citizens will let the city know it's time to deal with us fairly.
Our cab companies we drive for are afraid of Mayor Daley and City Hall. They continually back down to them and, when doing this, are screwing us in the process. You can bet your first-born child that when drivers unite and all strike and don't drive or pay cab leases, all the fat-cat cab owners will start to take up or cause. Without us, my brothers, those $125,000-plus medallions are worth nothing more to the owners then the cars to which they are attached. Yes, there will be scab drivers and private owners who will probably drive during the strike, but not enough of them to upset our purpose.
Remember, the majority of you are not voting members of this city, but you are still people of the United States of America, and that gives us some rights in this situation. The right we have here and are being denied is the right to earn a fair and honest living. You are all good at complaining about how it is now. Now is the time to stand up and show the Daley machine we want our rights back. What can the city do to us if we strike?
We can unite here and now and win this situation. Tell the city to take their dollar surcharge and put it back where they found it because it is worthless to us. Show your pride in your work. Show that we also are men and women who deserve the same respect as every other worker in this city.
The Chicago Dispatcher seems to me to genuinely have us, my cabdriver brothers of Chicago, in the paper's best interest. Use the Dispatcher's power to help us by calling them and letting them know we need their help. Give ideas for meetings or places to have them. They are a great bunch of guys that I know you will soon trust and entrust them to help us in our cause against the city. Remember, we have the legal right to picket anywhere in this city as long as it is done in an orderly and professional manner. Let us get the respect we deserve RIGHT NOW!
Fed up Chicago cabdriver, Richard Lange
Mr. Lange, Are you the same guy that was excommunicated from his long time association over some kind of FCC rules violation? I think I know you then. You are a veteran driver and are qualified for sure.
Anyway, I did like your letter. Some of it was very good. You are spot on about the insurance business here in Chicago and also are more knowledgeable than most of us about the ground tax, etc. Did you know Ritchie Rich is planning on using the MPEA fund to pay for the olympic games?
A strike will make some noise in the media. Unfortunately alomst none of us can afford to miss even a weeks worth of work. Mortgage or rent, tuition, living expenses, medallion loan payments, etc. eat up all of our income. Perhaps parking/picketing for say an hour each rush hour would help us get noticed without going into default on our bills.
I also agree with you about the current surcharge. It's a bunch of C***. You should know The Dispatcher thinks its a great idea and that its a real big help. Ask the publisher if you're still allowed in the building.
Here's where you erred.
The Dispatcher isn't a drivers group and doesn't conduct drivers meetings. I think you have them confused with the UTCC and the UTCC Voice publication. UTCC Voice is an excellent news source for us. One other difference is that the Dispatcher does not go against the city. The UTCC is the drivers group that is currently representing us in our never ending quest to get fair just treatment from city hall.
In closing, I ask you to ask yourself a question: Could the Dispatchers goal be to make us think it's on our side while collecting huge advertising revenues with its weekly editions? Does The Dispatcher have licensing concerns that might influence the way it reports on "hot" issues concerning the city? Hidden agendas? Ask the questions, read the Voice, go to the next open UTCC meeting. I think you'll know the answers then.
Where and When does the UTCC meet?
I believe the next meeting for general members is August 23 at 2:00 P.M. at 637 S. Dearborn in the basement. All are welcome, even non-cabdrivers who are allies. You don't need to be a member to attend.
