Victory At City Hall!

Less than six months after Chicago taxi drivers first came together with AFSCME to form our own organization, the City Council of Chicago passed a far-reaching reform package that will provide immediate economic relief to every Chicago cab driver. 

The Taxi Fairness Ordinance of 2014 will boost drivers' income by reducing lease rates, reducing fines and providing drivers with a share of taxi advertising revenue.  In addition, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection committed to reducing credit card fees and to revising rules and fines that have long denied drivers’ due process.

The average driver will see an annual savings of $5,000-$8,000 as a direct result.

"These reforms won’t hurt the city or consumers," said cab driver Nnamdi Uwazi, "but they will help the 12,000 drivers in the City of Chicago to provide a better life for our families."

The measures enacted by the Taxi Fairness Ordinance resulted from demands that drivers identified and proposed to the City in a letter signed by nearly 100 drivers who attended the first meeting of Cab Drivers United, AFSCME Council 31 last June.   

We presented our demands at a series of meetings with the taxi commissioner, spoke out at a town hall meeting, met with dozens of Aldermen and organized an action that brought hundreds of CDU activists out on the streets to protest treatment at the hands of city authorities.  Our efforts were supported by thousands of AFSCME members who came out to support our call for justice and dignity at a rally during the July national convention.

"This ordinance is a testament to what drivers can achieve when they come together," Associate Director Tracey Abman said.  "Cab Drivers United kicked off in June, signed up more than 3,500 drivers in just a few months, and today we’ve taken this important step forward. We’re excited to keep building our union to help drivers solve problems, win respect and better provide their vital public service to all Chicago."