Happy New Year to you from United Taxi Workers! 2019 was was an excellent year for our Movement!
After long fights regarding opening the airport for all taxi drivers, San Diego Airport created the Ad-Hoc committee in November 2018. UTWSD participated 7meetings that took six months in June 2019 UTWSD opened the airport taxi system.; the collaborative framework will take long. Still, UTWSD is fighting the early transition to this open taxi system.How did this happen? The answer is persistence and organization! In November 2014, we lifted the cap on taxi permits. Since then, UTWSD has been advocating before the Airport Board for an open system at the airport taxi drivers. We bring together driver voices, the San Diego Labor Council, some community partners such as (ERC, CPI), and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher. It takes a coalition of partners to change the system, and we did it. We also recognized a voting member at the Taxi Advisory Committee Board. After advocating for ten years in front of the TAC. Early years lot of bush backs not even welcoming to the meetings and now is to be recognized the only organization that advocates taxi drivers city of San Diego and the expert on transportation regulation here in San Diego. We also lowered taxi insurance requirement form a $1,000,000 liability policy to $350,000 in the city of San Diego, Remember 2018, our two big campaign promises were opening the Airport and lowering the insurance we did both of them.
UTWSD is Calling for Unity!
Another milestone UTWSD celebrated is our 10th Anniversary on Tuesday, Dec 17th, one day before the anniversary of our first strike! We are very proud of all our successes and the challenges that we overcome over the years. We also honored our two champions Marti Emerald and Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher. Goals: The Airport is open, we don’t agree with waiting until January 2021, we will work at the airport authority early transition so we will have drivers to apply and to work by the next year 2020. Regulating TNC’s And The census work And many more exciting developments.
Mostly, we wanted to take the time to say THANK YOU before this year ended, and we begin a new year full of opportunity and renewed hope. We thank our dedicated staff, our Board of Directors, our member, friends, allies, and OPEIU International that have helped us in this next stage of our fight to provide excellent and dignified jobs for our community.
We are so excited for what the New Year will bring and look forward to having you fighting right alongside with Gratitude.
