Business & Tech
Montgomery Cabbies Agree to Join Union
Taxi drivers complain that high credit card transaction fees and steep rates to lease cabs are cutting into their earnings.
Stymied by regulations and steep credit card transaction fees, Montgomery County’s nearly 1,000 taxi drivers agreed Thursday to affiliate with the National Taxi Workers Alliance.
Washington metro taxi drivers say they are losing business to the new app-based ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft, reports The Washington Post, while government rules on lease rates, credit card fees and affiliation contracts cut into earnings.
In Montgomery County, drivers say they must pay a fee of up to 8.5 percent on every credit card fare, while other Washington area taxi drivers pay from 3 percent to 5 percent per transaction. Drivers complain they pay the cab companies up to $115 a day to lease their cabs.
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The drivers will join the AFL-CIO affiliate and have their first official union meeting in early August.
Prince George’s County taxi drivers are also negotiating to join the AFL-CIO. Cabbies there have complained about access to fares at National Harbor since the hotel launched a private car service for guests.
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