Road Kill, Issue #3, June 1995
"You don't need a union," the owners of Orbit/Lightspeed toldits walkers and bikers, "We'll change things. We promise."
With the union election stalled in court, Orbit is making some changes,though they happen to be for the worse.
On May 15th, the company raised its basic zone rates from $7.50 to $8.95.To make sure the messengers don't see any of the money, Orbit went frompaying 57% commission to a flat rate.
Bikers now get $3.65 for a local run, roughly losing out on $30 a weekunder the new system.
"This is just another of Orbit's many scams to screw us out ofmoney we deserve," said Mustafa Ali, a biker and vocal organizer atOrbit. They think we're stupid, but we're not. We're going to fight this.
Orbit's questionable practices might not continue for much longer. TheNational Labor Relations Board recently issued 52 charges against the company,the largest complaint ever filed against an employer in the New York area,for unfair labor practices that tainted the union election last November.The vote was an 89 to 89 tie.
Orbit managers, according to the N.L.R.B., told immigrant messengersthat they would be deported, threatened to fire all the bikers and replacethem with walkers, and bribed workers to vote against the union.
It was impossible to hold a free and fair election because of management'sdirty tricks," said Bernadette McCulloch of the Teamsters. "Orbitjust cut its own throat."
A hearing is scheduled for July 10, to determine another possible electiondate. And this time around, many are betting that the union will win.
I fucked up," said one messenger who voted against the union afterhe was promised an inside job. I know better now."
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