Jim Conigliaro Jr., president and founder of the Machinists Union-affiliated Independent Drivers Guild (IDG), was featured in a recent interview on Blue Collar Buzz, a weekly feature from Labor Press, a media outlet for unions and workers.
IDG launched in 2016 as a response to for-hire vehicle drivers, and their quest to eke out a living while the heads of those companies got richer.
Conigliaro discusses the future of app-based employment, and the surprising amount of people finding work through apps like Uber.
“Within five years, you’re going to have somewhere around 200,000 workers in New York getting work through platforms whether that’s cleaning houses or doing plumbing or painting or picking up somebody’s groceries,” said Conigliaro Jr.
New York City has one of the more regulated for-hire vehicle industries, however it is an industry where, for the most part, there are a couple of companies that have control of the entire industry and dictate the terms on how workers make a living; how much money they bring home; and how many hours they work.
“I want to commend everyone at IDG,” said Eastern Territory General Vice President Jimmy Conigliaro Sr. “President Conigliaro, Jr., Director Ryan Price, staff and volunteers have put together a tremendous effort to ensure these drivers have a real voice at the table for the first time. Independent workers deserve the same benefits as anyone who works—access to affordable health care, retirement security, disability insurance, education and improved labor rights. The IDG has and continues to make that a reality.”
“Blue Collar Buzz” airs every Sunday from 9 to 10 p.m. on AM970 The Answer. Listen online at LaborPress.org, or check out the library of past episodes at am970theanswer.com.
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