At their annual meeting, taxicab operators in the Western Washington Taxi Cab Operators Association (WWTCOA) voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 117 as full-fledged union members.

The vote took place during the annual meeting on July 27 at the Teamsters Hall in Tukwila.

In the packed Teamsters Hall conference room, drivers significantly boosted their ability to organize and build power. For the first time these drivers have a path to bargain a contract with dispatch companies.

This vote is historic on multiple levels. It marks the first time that taxi cab operators in the United States have been able to join a union as independent contractors.

Gaining full union membership gives these workers new tools to improve their wages and working conditions.

Not only are Local 117 resources available to these drivers, but they also gain the strength of the broader labor community through the Martin Luther King County Labor Council, which represents over 75,000 union members across the region. 

La WWTCOA existe desde 2012 organizando a los operadores de taxis en torno a cuestiones que afectan a la industria. A lo largo de los años, el número de miembros ha crecido hasta los cientos. Han aprobado con éxito legislación en múltiples niveles, mejorando sus condiciones de trabajo. 

El invierno pasado, los miembros de la WWTCOA fueron fundamentales para aprobar la ley de Seattle que otorga derechos de negociación colectiva a los conductores clasificados como contratistas independientes. Esta ley sentó las bases para unirse al Local 117. 

These new union members have access to all the Teamsters benefits, such as life with dues, full representation, and the collective power to influence public policy.

Compañías como Uber y Lyft han interrumpido la industria del taxi. Muchos operadores de taxis temen perder la capacidad de ganar un salario familiar, ya que compiten en un campo de juego desequilibrado. Ahora, más que nunca, estos trabajadores vieron la necesidad de tomar medidas colectivas y sindicalizarse.

“We are so happy to be Teamsters,” said Makonnen Belaynehe, an taxi owner-driver member of the WWTCOA leadership council. “we are fighting for so many issues, and with the power of the union, we have the ability to create real progress.”

Help us welcome these hundreds of new Teamsters to our union!