Taxicab Authority considers measures in event of strike

The Nevada Taxicab Authority has scheduled an emergency meeting today to consider cab allocations to blunt the impact of a possible driver strike.

The meeting was called to consider a request from Whittlesea Blue Cab and Henderson Taxi, companies that are part of the Bell Transportation Group, for temporary cab allocations in the event of a strike.

Union taxi drivers in a contract dispute with the Frias Transportation Management group overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement in a vote earlier this month and authorized union leaders to call a strike.

United Steelworkers Local 711-A represents about 1,800 Frias cabbies who drive for ANLV, Virgin Valley, ABC Union, Vegas Western and ACE Cab companies. Frias is the largest cab operator in Southern Nevada.

At issue are proposed changes in the company’s seniority policies. The union said 99.5 percent of its members rejected management’s proposed contract.

Drivers are working under a contract extension after the previous agreement expired Sept. 11. The extension allows drivers to continue working under the previous contract while talks proceed, but the vote also gives the union leverage by allowing its negotiating committee to call a strike.

Frias representatives have been silent about the status of negotiations, while the union was frustrated that a scheduled meeting of bargaining agents last week was canceled by the company.

Cab drivers have gone on strike and demonstrated in Las Vegas in the past over various issues.

In February, off-duty cab drivers slowed traffic on the Strip for three hours to call attention to new allocations of cabs that resulted in fewer fares for the larger number of drivers.

In 2011 and 2008, drivers staged similar demonstrations over the allocation of additional licenses for cabs.

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