“It’s an Issue of Public Safety”
Las Vegas, Nevada (May 28, 2015) – Taxi drivers employed by Yellow Checker Star (YCS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, will conduct a work stoppage on Friday, May 29, 2015, from 2-5 p.m. (PDT) in protest of Uber’s unsafe driver standards and the company’s “surge pricing” policy.
The YCS drivers are members of the Industrial, Technical and Professional Employees Union (ITPEU),
OPEIU Local 4873. “Our members are professional drivers,” said ITPEU/OPEIU Local 4873 President Dennis R. Arrington. “They are experienced drivers, fully insured, and have passed comprehensive background checks.
“The same cannot be said for Uber drivers,” continued Arrington. “These so-called drivers can be hired without any driving experience, are not insured by the company, and are let loose on the streets without any sort of background check.” The taxi drivers are also protesting Uber’s “surge pricing” policy, which makes it impossible for riders to know what rate they will be paying for any given route, and which is often used to undercut metered taxi rates.
“But this is more than just an issue of hardworking union members losing their jobs to unfair competition,” said Arrington. “This is an issue of public safety. The passengers and pedestrians of Las Vegas deserve drivers who know what they’re doing and, if an accident does occur, that their driver is fully insured. With Uber, you certainly don’t have that assurance.”
WHO: Taxi drivers employed by Yellow Checker Star Transportation, represented by the Industrial, Technical and Professional Employees Union (ITPEU)/OPEIU Local 4873.
WHAT: A work stoppage by YCS drivers to protest Uber’s unsafe standards and the company’s “surge pricing” policies.The YCS drivers will also conduct a demonstration on Las Vegas Blvd.
WHERE: Las Vegas Blvd.
WHEN: Friday, May 29, 2015 2 – 5 p.m. (PDT)
WHY: Uber drivers are often inexperienced, are uninsured, and have not undergone screening or background checks. This, coupled with the company’s “surge pricing” policy, creates an unsafe condition for both passengers and pedestrians, and threatens the jobs of experienced, professional taxi drivers.
ABOUT ITPEU/OPEIU Local 4873
In addition to the taxi drivers in Las Vegas, ITPEU/OPEIU Local 4873 represents more than 11,000 workers on military installations and federal buildings throughout the United States and Puerto Rico under the Service Contract Act.