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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2012)
City staff in Portland give green light to Union Cab Co. Staff are recommending approval of a worker- owned taxi co-op, and sweeping reform of taxi rules By DON McINTOSH Associate Editor City of Portland taxi regulators said “yes” Sept. 26 to a proposal for a new worker-owned and union-affiliated taxi company — pending approval from an appointed board and City Council. The recommendation is part of a sweeping set of proposed taxi industry reforms, which were drafted after a City investi- gation found deplorable conditions for the industry’s mostly-immigrant work- force. That investigation found that Port- land’s roughly 900 licensed taxi drivers work on average over 70 hours a week for what amounts to $6.22 an hour. Taxi drivers are allowed to make less than minimum wage because they’re classi- fied as independent contractors and thus are not technically employees of the cab companies. In fact, it’s the drivers who pay the companies — up to $550 a week — even when drivers own the ve- hicles and equipment. To free themselves from those con- ditions, a group of Portland taxi drivers joined Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901 last year, and developed a proposal for a union- affiliated taxi company — Solidarity Cab Cooperative, which would do busi- ness as Union Cab. Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain was able to get drivers a meeting with Portland Mayor Sam Adams, at which they told the mayor about their working conditions. Adams ordered the City’s investigation, and then reportedly pushed taxi regulators to propose a solution. Like many cities, Portland regulates the taxi industry, and limits the number of taxi permits, which are doled out to cab companies for a nominal fee. Port- land’s 382 taxi permits are divided among five companies: driver-owned Radio Cab (136), where conditions are substantially better; Broadway/Sassy’s (153), reputedly the worst offender; and three smaller companies — Green (48), Portland (26); and New Rose City (19). That arrangement creates a “market disparity” favoring the companies, at- torney Cathy Highet told the Private For Hire Transportation Board of Review Sept. 26. The Board of Review is an ap- pointed body advising City Council on taxi regulations. Highet, counsel for the Union Cab group, said Portland gives a limited number of cab companies long- term control of a limited number of vehicle permits, whereas the pool of U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685. 1. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press. 2. Publication No.: ISSN 0894-444X. 3. Filing Date: Sept. 24, 2012. 4. Issue Frequency: Semi-monthly basis on first and third Fridays of each month. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 24. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $13.75. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Offices of Publisher: 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co., Inc., 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Managing Editor: Michael Gutwig, 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. 10. Owner: Oregon Labor Press Publishing Company, Inc., (a non-profit corporation) 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon 97213. Shareholders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of shares are: Musicians Mutual Association No. 99 (Bruce Fife, trustee); IBEW Local 125 (Travis Eri, trustee); Oregon AFL-CIO (Tom Chamberlain, trustee); United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 (Jeff Anderson, vice president); Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett, vice pres- ident); Label Trades Section, Northwest Oregon Labor Council (Bob Tackett); UNITE HERE Local 9 (Karly Edwards, trustee); Iron Workers Local 29 (Kevin Jensen, trustee); Iron Workers Shopmen’s Local 516 (Aden J. “AJ” Blair, trustee); Machinists District W 24 (Bob Petroff, chair); Machinists Lodge 63 (Pat Maloney, trustee); United Association Local 290 (Al Shrop- shire, trustee); Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 (John Candioto, trustee); IBEW Local 48 (Ed Barnes, vice president); Office & Professional Employees Local 11 (Mike Richards, trustee); Communications Workers Local 7901 (Madelyn Elder, trustee); Auto Mechanics Lodge 1005 (Gene McGlothlin, trustee); Columbia-Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council, (Jodi Guetzloe-Parker, trustee); Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council (John Mohlis, treasurer). 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status (For completion by non-profit organizations authorized to mail at non-profit rates): The purpose, function, and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13. Publication Title: Northwest Labor Press 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 21, 2012 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date A. Total No. Copies (net press run).............................................................. 51,697 B. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail): 1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 .....50,385 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales........428 C. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3) and (4).............................50,813 D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution......................................................................... 1. Outside-county copies included on PS form 3541 ..........................................0 2. In-county copies included on PS Form 3541 ..................................................0 3. Mailed at other classes through the USPS .....................................................0 4. Outside the mail (carriers and other means)...............................................125 E. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution .........................................................125 F. Total Distribution......................................................................................50,938 G. Copies not Distributed ..................................................................................720 H. TOTAL ....................................................................................................51,658 I. Percent Paid 98.30% 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership.................................................Oct. 5, 2012 17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete: Michael Gutwig, Editor PAGE 2 58,722 57,521 471 57,992 0 0 0 125 125 58,117 605 58,722 98.7% Union Cab chairman Kedir Wako tells the City of Portland taxi review board Sept. 26 about plans to form a union-affiliated driver-owned taxi co-op that would free drivers from exploitative conditions at several taxi companies. drivers is nearly unlimited. City code says companies aren’t allowed to charge drivers simply for using the per- mits. The driver payment, known as the “kitty,” is supposed to pay for services like dispatch, insurance, advertising, and credit card processing. But Highet said the companies are, in reality, charg- ing drivers for use of the permits. The proof is that the kitty is twice as high at the four companies that aren’t driver- owned — about $500 a week — irre- spective of the company’s size or the level of support it gives drivers. Drivers at the three smaller companies get few dispatch calls, and typically wait out- side the airport and downtown hotels to find their own customers. In practice, the kitty is as high as the companies can set it and still have people willing to drive for them. “$500 a week is the price for access to work that provides on average $294 net a week,” Highet said. Suspense was high at the Private For Hire Transportation Board of Review’s Sept. 26 meeting — and drivers filled every seat and crowded along the walls. Would-be Union Cab drivers had waited since April 2011 for an answer to their request for 50 permits. Other drivers had been waiting nearly as long for reforms that would free them from exploitation at the hands of the cab companies. But in the end, the proposals drawn up by City taxi regulators addressed nearly everything drivers had been ask- ing for. Fifty new permits would be given immediately to Union Cab, which Kathleen Butler, in charge of the City’s taxi regulation, said has “a well-thought out plan for entering the market.” Butler also praised Union Cab’s commitment to provide health insurance and paid va- cation. Radio Cab also would be granted 38 additional permits, to be phased in over three years. Green and Portland Taxi would get 32 and 12 new permits phased in over three years, but only on condition that they reduce the kitty in proportion to the new permits, and give drivers one kitty-free week a year. Proposals for more permits by Broadway and New Rose City were de- nied. Also denied was a proposal by T -thoughtful I - independent Sho Dozono, former Broadway Cab co- owner and 2008 mayoral candidate — for 25 permits for a new company that would use all-electric vehicles, with the cabs dispatched and managed by Broadway. Butler said there was no need for that service since nothing pre- vents existing companies from using electric vehicles. Butler also presented reforms that would amount to a major overhaul of taxi regulations, to benefit drivers and the riding public: • Future permit renewals would be based on how well companies met per- formance standards, including the value of the services they provide to drivers. • Cab companies would be barred from charging any fee to drivers without City approval. • The City would find a way to get driver insurance policies to cover per- sonal injury of the drivers (right now if drivers are injured in an accident, they lose work and have to pay their own medical bills.) • “Payment for fare” — an abuse in which hotel doormen and even taxi company dispatchers charge fees to drivers for referring passengers — would be prohibited. • Taxis would be required to install back-seat credit card swipe machines. • Taxi permit fees would be increased to pay for beefed up enforcement. Le- gitimate drivers face competition from a “proliferation of illegal operators,” unli- censed taxis coming in from the suburbs particularly on the weekends; City ordi- nance says taxis from other areas may drop off passengers in Portland, but not pick them up. The City has begun crack- ing down on the so-called “gypsy cabs” and criminalizing the offense and im- pounding vehicles. The next step is that the Private For Hire Transportation Board of Review will discuss the proposals at an Oct. 10 meeting. Depending on what the Board decides to do, the proposals could then go to City Council. Financing is already lined up, said CWA Local 7901 Presi- dent Madelyn Elder, so Union Cab could be up and running soon after City Council approves the permits. M - motivated KNAPP for (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) MAYOR WILSONVILLE 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 • Proven 4-year record of quality growth. • Record $128.5 million private investment in 2011. • New primary school, Fred Meyer, wastewater plant. • Thoughtful, participative planning for our future. • Represents ALL residents, not special interests. • Endorsed by NW Oregon Labor Council and UFCW #555. Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 tknappoldtown@yahoo.com Paid for by Tim Knapp for Mayor Committee, 30625-B SW Boones Ferry, Ste. B, Wilsonville, Ore. NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 5, 2012
