SEATAC, Wash. — Sea-Tac Airport taxi and flat-rate drivers held a press conference at the Teamsters Building in Tukwila to denounce airport taxi contractor Eastside For Hire's termination of 29 drivers from the airport fleet.
Eastside for Hire, which has the exclusive taxi contract at Sea-Tac Airport, issued a choice that its taxi cab drivers had five days to agree to pay $9,000.
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None of the taxi drivers paid that money.
"We exercise our own rights. This is a democratic nation. We have to speak out," Michael Megnta, a veteran cab driver, said at a press conference on Thursday.
Taxi drivers are demanding action after Eastside For Hire announced the termination of 29 drivers from the airport fleet – without compensation – effective May 24.
They received that information hours after many testified at a Port of Seattle commission meeting to express their concerns.
"We're calling on the Port of Seattle to protect these drivers from retaliation to stop this pay to work scheme at the airport," Joshua Welter, a Teamsters Local 117 spokesperson, said.
Eastside for Hire has the exclusive taxi contract at Sea-Tac Airport. The company told KIRO 7 they sent out a notice giving drivers a couple of options, including a buyout if they agree to no longer serve the airport.
"We ended up getting only 22 vehicles that wanted to leave voluntarily," Samatar Guled, a general manager for Eastside For Hire, said.
Eastside For Hire says 29 of those drivers did not respond to a notice that was recently sent out to them.
"They self-terminated by not checking or choosing one of the choices: either remaining in the [airport] fleet or removing their vehicle for a $20,000 compensation," said Guled.
Drivers are upset because they feel like they've already spent too much money on dispatch and per trip fees.
They send this message to Eastside For Hire:
"We just want to work," Suldan Mohamed, a cab driver, said. "But you're making our life very difficult by asking us to pay thousands of dollars."
"We're not gonna take it. We're not gonna pay for it," said Simranjit Dhaliwal, who has been working as a cab driver for over two years.
"The Port of Seattle is the one actually charging the drivers more money," said Guled.
The Port of Seattle said it's proactively reaching out to drivers to try and figure out a solution.
Eight taxi cab drivers are planning on meeting with commissioner Stephanie Bowman on May 1.
Cox Media Group
