The Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 has allied with New York City’s pedicab drivers in their opposition to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal, which aims to restrict pedicabs from operating in the most profitable areas of Central Park, below 85th Street. This plan, part of a broader initiative to reduce the number of carriage horses and confine them to Central Park, has been criticized by TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen as elitist and contradictory to the mayor’s proclaimed progressive values. Samuelsen accuses de Blasio of sacrificing the jobs of vulnerable workers, including many immigrants, to favor his campaign contributors. The union, representing 42,000 transit workers, offers legal assistance, office space, and moral support to the pedicab drivers, who have felt marginalized in the discussions leading to the agreement with the Teamsters union, representing carriage drivers.
Pedicab drivers, feeling overlooked and undervalued by the city’s administration, welcome TWU’s support. They express frustration over the mayor’s lack of engagement and the proposed restrictions, which they believe will severely impact their livelihoods. Despite Mayor de Blasio’s assurances of willingness to collaborate with pedicab drivers and his claims that there remains ample business for them in other parts of the city, the pedicab community and their new union ally are preparing to fight the proposed changes. The City Council vote on this contentious plan is anticipated to take place next Friday.
For more information:
https://nypost.com/2016/01/29/transit-union-backs-pedicabbies-in-central-park-battle-with-city/