Taxi Drivers and Independent Contractors
Since about 1980, taxi drivers have been forced to sign an Independent Contractor Agreement. We are beginning to recognize the mistake in letting that happen. It killed the union.
In the early 1900's, taxi drivers contributed to the labor movement with Organizers being jailed, and strikers being shot at.
One benefit they won was a licensing system, which limited the amount of cabs to protect the income of career drivers, especially during the depression and stock market collapse, when anybody with a car was hacking. After the move to the independent contractor, the history of this license is buried, and today they call it the medallion system, and claim that its purpose is to raise money for the cab owner to run his business. In the real world, it is really a medallion mafia, or medallion cartel exploiting hundreds of thousands of workers into indentured servitude.
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Also in the real world, local governments are realizing the importance of the taxi driver, and creating regulatory bodies to manage them. The regulators do all the dirty work for the medallion owners,managing the drivers, and no one takes responsibility for the abusive system they have created.
We are beginning to realize the lie of the Independent Contractor Agreement and want our collective bargaining rights again.
