-----Original Message----- From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>Nathan, the number of medallions isn't the central issue of the moment,
>it's the Mayor's plan to ratchet down drivers' incomes and to hold them up
>to public humiliation. I'm very impressed by the solidarity shown by the
>non-yellow cabbies - they understand what's at stake too.
I am not surprised (especially since the rates being offered by the cities to those livery drivers was not impressive for strike-breaking work).
But if the central issue for the cab drivers are the high fixed costs of renting their cabs every day, then it is reasonable for progressives to discuss longer term solutions.
Or do we always have to play defense and defend unacceptable status quos? Writing on the list isn't going to effect the outcome of the strike one way or the other, but it does highlight in one labor market issues of key importance of how progressives can and should intervene to support wages for workers.
Ultimately, progressives should create a coalition in NYC to challenge the costs of medallions and the burdens it places on working class cabbies. If all this strike does is block Rudy's ridiculous fine system and leaves the general burden on cabbies unchanged, real opportunities will have been missed.
--nathan