The Union, specifically TWU Local 100, has publicly declared its opposition to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan which poses a significant threat to the jobs of many pedicab drivers in Central Park, a significant number of whom are immigrants from Senegal and Sierra Leone. This plan, aiming to ban pedicabs from operating below 86th Street in Central Park and to reduce the number of horse-drawn carriages, is criticized as an attack on the working poor, rather than a measure for animal welfare as proposed. TWU Local 100 is mobilizing to support these pedicab drivers by offering organizational support, training, legal advice, and other forms of assistance, with activities including meetings and a large gathering at the Union’s headquarters. Local 100 President John Samuelsen has condemned the mayor’s plan as anti-worker, anti-immigrant, and a means to satisfy campaign donors at the expense of vulnerable workers’ livelihoods. The union’s commitment represents a significant backing for the pedicab drivers, providing them with a powerful voice in their fight against the proposed changes.
For more information:
https://www.twulocal100.org/story/union-stands-pedicab-drivers-against-new-mayoral-plan