LATWA has been fighting for taxi workers rights for the last 2 years. If you like talk to Zahid (committee member) click on the link fouzia.zahid@sbcglobal.net or at Zahid@latwa.org  . Also you can contact Hamid Khan at (800) 281-8111 Ext.105(562) 403-0488 or at his email Hamid@latwa.org , of S.A.N._

Background Information

In November 2004, several taxi workers in Los Angeles approached a group of community activists and organizations for help in improving their deplorable working conditions. This gave way to preliminary discussions with the larger taxi workers’ community resulting in the formation of the Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance ("LATWA") in July 2005. LATWA is a broad coalition of community activists and workers employed by taxicab companies in and around Los Angeles supported by several community-based, workers rights, civil rights and social justice organizations, including founding members the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and South Asian Network (SAN). The worker abuses and conditions that we have uncovered to date in this industry include the following:

                                        ● lack of any real political power;

● non-responsive, non-inclusive cab companies with no accountability to their shareholders or their drivers;

● excessively prohibitive regulation of taxi workers with no relation to passenger safety or public benefit;

● lack of livable wages and an unconscionable economic imbalance;

● high incidence of injury and poor health with no medical or retirement benefits of any kind;

● extreme working shifts and hours; regularly 12 to 13 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Some of the primary goals of LATWA include industry reform and drastic improvement of working conditions for thousands of taxi workers. The genesis of LATWA was the lack of any organized, cohesive voice speaking for the workers and decades of abuse at the hands of many institutions. The work that LATWA undertakes is accomplished through an organizing committee consisting of workers, activists, and lawyers. LATWA seeks to accomplish its mission through organizing, policy advocacy, litigation and worker and public education and empowerment.

For more information, or to get involved with the Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance, please contact Hamid Khan at South Asian Network (SAN) at 562-403-0488

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