NRI, Bhairavi Desai and a committee of taxi
workers formed the New York Taxi Workers Alliance
(NYTWA) in February 1998 as an independent membership
organization to address working conditions,
work protection and other concerns. New York
City taxi drivers represent more than 90 countries
and work 12 hours a day, six and seven days
a week in the most dangerous job in the United
States – more cabbies are killed per capita
than police.
In April 1998, when the Taxi and Limousine
Commission (TLC) announced new rules that increased
fines to drivers for minor violations, the NYTWA
general membership voted to strike. They organized
a strike with more than 40,000 licensed drivers
withholding their labor for a 24-hour period,
making the first yellow cab strike in more than
20 years a stunning success. Their demands included
a moratorium over the new rules, an in-depth
study of the taxi industry and an end to double
ticketing. During the strike, NYTWA membership
doubled to 1,400 general members.
Since then, NYTWA has put in place health and
legal services discount programs for members
and has successfully advocated for relief from
burdensome and inefficient TLC rules and practices.
Ms. Desai explains that the industry is undergoing
a transformation as corporations merge, move
out of the city or close down, putting thousands
out of work. At the moment, NYTWA is concentrating
on organizing drivers for the coming battles.
