Pinched by Ride-Sharing Services, Cabbies Seek a National Union

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/07/business/pinched-by-ride-sharing-services-cabbies-seek-a-national-union.html?_r=1

By STEVEN GREENHOUSEJUNE 6, 2014

CHICAGO — Never timid in its rush to expand, Uber, the app-based car service, skirted city law when it told drivers in its UberX ride-sharing program last month that they could start picking up passengers at O’Hare International Airport.

The fledgling union for Chicago’s taxi drivers complained, citing an ordinance barring anyone but taxicabs and limousine services from serving the airports. Chicago officials were soon shooing away the UberX drivers, although Uber defended its actions by saying O’Hare desperately needed additional transportation options.



Peter Ali Enger, right, chief organizer for the United Taxidrivers Community Council, at Chicago O’Hare Airport. Credit Nathan Weber for The New York Times


But the taxi drivers’ victory was short-lived. The Chicago City Council voted 34 to 10 on May 28 to give ride-sharing companies much of what they wanted. The new law set no limits on the number of companies, vehicles or ride-sharing drivers and would let those drivers operate at the city’s two main airports, O’Hare and Midway.

The Uber smartphone app, which connects drivers with passengers, is shaking up the taxi industry in dozens of cities.DealBook: Uber Attains Eye-Popping New Levels of FundingJUNE 6, 2014
As services like UberX, whose drivers often use their own vehicles to transport passengers, make inroads in city after city, traditional taxi drivers are facing a loss of clout and livelihood. Years of rising gas prices and, in many places, stagnant fares have contributed to lower incomes for many drivers.

FULL story at link.