I just picked up Jim Hightower's Swim Against The Current: Even Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, which highlights non-corporate businesses in the U.S. started by "the little people". Among others, Hightower spotlights the Union Cab Cooperative of Madison, WI. In 1977, the drivers at Checker Cab in Madison organized into a union. Shortly thereafter, the owner of the Checker Cab franchise in Madison shut the company down rather than fulfill his agreements.
The drivers, having just gone through a union organization and negotiation, took the spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie they'd gained through that experience and formed the Union Cab Cooperative. Through the years since then, the co-op has grown, investing in new facilities for repair and administration, and has become one of the few cab companies in the country to offer healthcare to its workers/members. Most of its members drive at least one shift per week, even those who do administrative tasks.
After reading that chapter in Hightower's book, I thought to myself, "Surely, Union Cab has an opinion on the current workers' protest situation in Madison!"
Sure enough...
The Board of Directors of Union Cab of Madison Cooperative unanimously passed the following resolution, “Union Cab stands in solidarity with Madison and Wisconsin public sector workers by supporting their rights to collective bargaining.
Union Cab President Butch Hanson noted that “this will have a significant financial impact both upon state revenues and individual incomes. This is not an improvement, but an attack on, not just state workers, but workers in general. Who is next?”
Co-operatives are based on the values of democracy, solidarity, openness and honesty. This bill runs against those values. This bill will unravel clean government by eliminating protections to workers and setting the stage for a return to the corrupt machine politics.
As this bill is being rushed through the legislative process, we urge everyone to contact their legislators and ask them to vote against this anti-job, anti-business, anti-clean government bill, vote in today’s primary and attend the protests at the State Capitol.
Director Scott McCormick noted that “it's important for us to go on record on the side of the people who have been paying our fares and putting food on our tables since 1979.”
Union Cab was founded in 1979 after taxicab drivers and dispatchers were denied their right to collective bargaining when the owner of Checker Cab closed his business instead of honoring the collective bargaining agreement.
An injury to one is an injury to all.
If you're going to Madison to protest, please consider using Union Cab for your transportation in the city. It's a good way to thank them for their solidarity and support.
DISCLAIMER: I do not work for, nor have I ever heard of Union Cab Co-op prior to about noonish today. I don't even live in Wisconsin. But I do think that solidarity and support like this deserve attention and patronage. Thank you.