NY Taxi Workers Alliance

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

Big ups to - the son of a cabbie - for all his support of NYTWA member Noureddine Bitat who was assaulted outside MSG after game 4.

Check out this CBS segment of his visit to our offices to meet Noureddine last night.

06/17/2026

Drivers are on the front lines of the fight against AI automation and the streets of Mamdanistan are the key battlefield Waymo must crack to succeed. Join the union that fights and wins today!

From today’s NYT: “New York abandoned its proposal to allow self-driving taxis earlier this year. New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has said he would heavily weigh the interests of taxi drivers in deciding on rules for the technology...

Waymo’s ambitions have helped start one of the first political fights over A.I.’s real-world ability to replace human workers. Tech executives have proclaimed that A.I. could put many people out of work, raising fears around the world...

But Waymo’s most significant political struggle may lie in one of the world’s biggest ride-share markets: New York.

City and state officials allowed Waymo to test its vehicles with drivers in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn starting last year. But state lawmakers needed to update the laws to allow Waymo’s driverless taxis to offer rides to the public.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a Democrat, has long advocated for the city’s taxi drivers. In January, at an event with many of those drivers, he said he took the “arrival of autonomous vehicles very seriously.”
..Waymo initially found a more supportive politician in Ms. Hochul. Her short-lived proposal would have legalized robo-taxis in the state outside of New York City, where Mr. Mamdani must also bless their operations. But her office has privately said supporters of her proposal, like Waymo, did not match the fierce campaign to quash it, said two people familiar with their efforts.

A spokesman for Ms. Hochul said, “It was clear that the support was not there to advance this proposal.” Waymo said it would keep pushing for driverless vehicles in the state.

Waymo’s ability to test autonomous driving in New York City expired on March 31. Its cars are still cruising around the city collecting data — now fully driven by humans.”

Full article in comments

06/17/2026

NYTWA Member Attacked Outside MSG Speaks Out

06/16/2026

Many of you saw the video last week of our brother Noureddine being assaulted outside MSG. Show him some love and care by donating to his recovery fund:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-change-noureddines-life

06/15/2026

Uber - and now also Lyft - have sued New York City to try and to stop drivers from getting protections to end unfair deactivations! We won't let them take away our hard fought job security!

Join NYTWA's 8pm Zoom Monday night to learn about the plan to defend Local Law 52 (called intro 276 as a bill) and ensure we end unfair Uber/Lyft deactivations and establish job security under the law!

Plus hear about the results of the Driver Power Agenda Survey and next steps in the fight for higher pay and lower costs!

➡️ Register now or just Click at 8pm Monday for zoom :

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/OmwUJScjQXi1FR942y6AOQ

📌NEW: To join the Zoom meeting, please register now or just enter your name and email at 8pm Monday as you are joining.

Over 2,000 drivers filled out the survey in just 7 days! Hear the results of the Driver Power Agenda survey and the next steps in the fight to win higher pay on every trip and lower costs-- including what's next in building our driver owned insurance company to bring down premiums, a retirement fund and more!!!

Get ready to take our fight to the next level for the dignified working conditions we deserve!!!

Driver Power! Union Power!

06/12/2026

06/11/2026

That’s our member behind the wheel. He was pulled out of the cab and suffered shock and physical injury to his arm, back and head.

The whole city is elated about our hometown team — and that includes drivers who watched the game last night at airport lots while waiting for the next fare, listened on their radios while cruising for the next job, and huddled at hotel lines with the same heart-stopping anxiety that turned into the most beautiful joy.

Pulling the cab driver out of his seat, stomping on and shattering his hood turned our joy into a nightmare.

When you see the yellow, do you not see the person behind the wheel? That’s someone’s spouse, child, parent or friend — a New Yorker.

He wasn’t out there for a joy ride, he was working to make ends meet and to get his fellow New Yorkers home safely.

Cabbies pay just to go to work. They pay for their cars — whether through loans or leases.

Drivers need safety on the job, both in the quiet moments of ordinary days and in the middle of public celebration.

Shame on anyone who turns these joyful moments into nightmares for fellow New Yorkers.

06/11/2026

NYTWA Victory! Port Authority, TLC and NYTWA announce launch of biggest campaign to stop hustling at the airports once and for all!!!

“They’re stealing our jobs,” Richard Chow, a longtime medallion owner-driver and New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) member, said in a NY1 segment on the crackdown at JFK. NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai made the same economic argument in the announcement, pointing to medallion owner-drivers carrying over $5,000 per month in average operating expenses, rising fuel and insurance costs, and taxi trips declining roughly 7% year-over-year for three consecutive months...

Operation Legal Ride combines six measures:

1. Officer surge. PAPD officers and TLC enforcement personnel dedicated solely to anti-hustling enforcement across all three airports, ramping up through the World Cup.

2. DMV license points. The Port Authority is working with the New York State DMV to attach license points to non-solicitation convictions, with suspension for repeat offenders. Driving on airport roads with a suspended license then exposes the driver to arrest by PAPD.

3. Higher impound costs. Vehicles towed in connection with hustling will face increased redemption fees, designed in part to recoup the agency’s enforcement costs.

4. TLC prosecution partnership. New prosecutorial resources to streamline timely prosecution and prevent violators from delaying fines. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s office is also partnering with the Port Authority and TLC on enforcement.

5. Real-time detection technology. License plate readers scan vehicles entering JFK’s terminals, and AI-assisted cameras feed a Port Authority command center where the data is checked against a database of known repeat offenders, as Popular Science detailed in April. The system coordinates with officers on the ground.

6. Multi-language outreach. In-flight announcements, terminal signage, and social media advertising warning arriving visitors about hustling."

Check out the full report on AutoMarketplace:

https://substack.com/home/post/p-201613072

Check out the NY1 segment:

https://youtu.be/12UXo_WKcPs?si=oJzvv-kq50AenS82&t=105

06/11/2026

If you’ve been on driver social media you know Lenny and you know that he knows what he is talking about! Listen up:

“We want to make sure that laws are passed that help us— especially during these times where expenses are extremely high and inflation is beating us on our profits. Please take the time and fill out the survey.”

Driver Power Survey is here: https://new-york-taxi-workers-alliance.solidarity.tech/all-driver-survey