From the Chicago Dispatcher, November 2008
Reader Opinions
An open letter to Chicago's taxi drivers introducing the Chicago Taxi Drivers Union:
As many of you know, an organization of political agitators have been trying to recruit cabdrivers to form a so-called “community council.” While doing this, they are also making demands on the city that are not legally correct and somewhat irrational. The time is now to properly organize the approximately 12,000 drivers into a legally sound union structure. I along with six fellow cabdrivers have formed the Chicago Taxi Drivers Union.
Before I or anybody says this is great, I have to caution that we are undertaking an unprecedented challenge, legally and organizationally. What we now have established as the Chicago Taxi Drivers Union is the first step of legality in the start of this vision of unity that many drivers have. I believe that we, the founders and board members, have the driving experience, proven past accomplishments and sincere motives to achieve a successful taxi drivers union.
For the second step, we need 3,500 drivers to sign and authorize a union. We also now need to raise $20,000 for the legal challenge. If you join us now, it will not be a guarantee that our union will achieve legal recognition from the courts and the city, or that we can get certification as a union from the National Labor Relations Board, but I believe that our Chicago Taxi Drivers Union effort has the only realistic chance of surmounting the numerous obstacles that have frustrated and doomed every other unionizing effort. We all have heard about forming a union. Now is the time for each of you taxi drivers to help by authorizing a union. We, the board members, look forward to seeing and signing up drivers.
– George Kasp
mr. kasp is 100 percent right. we need a real union! it is worth the risk to go for it if everybody does their part.
Is this 20k the same 20K Georges lawyer wanted just to get started? We qualify for free legal aid. Giving this attorney 20k is a mistake both George's should know better.
What "free legal aid" do we qualify for and why haven't we gotten it? Your comment that giving this lawyer $20k is a mistake is silly. Free legal aid? You get what you pay for.
What about paying while you're getting? Giving a guy 20k BEFORE he starts is what's silly. Why pay 20k up front? One thousand would be more than fair. Pay as you go then. Why not tell your man this George?
We are raising money to pay Mr. Geoghegan for a specific job. If you think taxi drivers deserve the right to form a union, please join our cause.
We're raising $20,000 to pay a very accomplished Harvard labor attorney to try to secure the rights of Chicago taxi drivers to unionize. We're working to raise that money. That's all there is to it.
George Lutfallah
Nathan was willing to do the job for free. He didn't want 20k. While we're at it, the surcharge you've been touting is history. This is why a lawsuit was filed. The Mag Seven case is still alive and the city is on the run. This is our only real hope of a raise until we get the tiny one planned for next spring. Wait, isn't this what I predicted on this site several months ago? A small raise in the spring AFTER the Olympic decision is made.
One other thought, George Kasp mentions six union members. Nathans group still has more support and has made more progress than you have sir. Keep up the good work.
Habib,
I don't know anybody named Nathan who was willing to "do the job for free."
The strategy we're working on was developed by Harvard labor attorney Thomas Geoghegan. He's the only attorney who presented this strategy and he's the only attorney I've met who's qualified to pursue this for us.
We certainly don't need any ambulance chasers or greenhorns screwing this up like that one attorney screwed up the lawsuit against the surcharge. Don't you agree?
George
You don't know Don Nathan?
I know who Donald Nathan is. He's a lawyer who is worth way less than what he wants to charge us.
George
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Replying to:
You don't know Don Nathan?
