How ASAAL is helping to bring real union for Taxi Workers!

UsaNewsOnline.Com : The Alliance of South Asian American Labor is disappointed and troubled to read media reports that the New York State AFL CIO and various leaders of the labor movement have agreed to a deal with Uber and Lyft that effectively undermines workers and leaves them without real union empowerment. In New York City nearly 38% of TLC licensees are of South Asian descent (Yellow 40%, Green 43%, and Black 26%) and the supermajority of the drivers are immigrants from across the world. Our members deserve better than second-class status in the union movement. We deserve a real worker lead union founded in the principles of the trade unionist movement. We must put the drivers first and deliver better wages and benefits from the employer. But we must organize as a driver lead movement that elects its leaders and directly negotiates its interests. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters from the New York Taxi Workers industry and their driver-led movement on these issues for decades.

ASAAL has called on better working and safety conditions for Uber and Lyft drivers for years. We have stood year after year with our members and brothers who are drivers and demanded employee classification. We have celebrated the victories of our brothers in their legal battles for employee classification. We applaud the rulings of New York’s Unemployment Insurance Board declaring app-based drivers employees. We applaud recent statements from Labor Secretary Walsh that gig workers should be recognized as employees. ASAAL proudly endorses the PRO Act and the right for workers to unionize.

We call on the NYS AFL CIO to demand Uber and Lyft recognize drivers as employees and call on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation declaring these workers employees and give them real union to have respectful and dignified life for them and their family.