Road Kill, Issue #3, June 1995
The other morning I went out with some of the brothers that are hereand stood in front of the company (Orbit). And as I stood there I saw acouple of the owners come through and talk and debate with the workerson their right to have a Union. What was ironic to me is that these peopleare millionaires, making 9 or 10 million dollars a year. First questionthat I would ask is, would they let their son or their daughter work ona job where they risk their lives, risk their health, that they have towork outdoors despite the weather, and they have no guaranteed protection,no guaranteed health care, no guaranteed wages? If it's not good enoughfor their kids, how can they stand on a corner and convince you its goodenough for you?
You work longer hours, harder work than most people in Manhattan. Thepeople you're delivering to, some of them in some of the most plush officesin the western world. You bring them things that they need to work with,and they treat us like we're some chattel slaves. Run here, run there.And then, If you get me mad, if I get an attitude, I make you stand inthe cold and keep calling in and give my runs to somebody else I like.Maybe you didn't smile the way I wanted you to. Maybe you didn't buck dancewhen you came in the door.
So because you didn't buck dance, I'm gonna cut you're runs down."That’splantation politics.
I listened to the owners out there the other day. They say, "Youget a better deal with me . Well, how do I get a better deal with you,when there is no deal? What's the better deal? No deal."I guaranteeyou nothing. Nothing in writing. Nothing promised. I'm liable for nothing."That's a better deal? I got a better chance with a three card Monte dealeron 42nd street, than to be with an employer that says, "With no guarantees,you get a better deal."
And that's how they tell it. "Don't you trust me? I thought meand you were all right."
We are, that's why I want the same guarantees that you got. You caninsure a package, but don't want to insure me that carries the package?And if I get hurt, you're first question is, "Is the package all right?"If I'm wounded, if I'm hurt, if I'm bleeding, or broken, "Did youdeliver the package?" And if you did, good, how long will it takeyou to get to the next stop? Cause I got to get out of town before thetraffic starts. To get to my big home that 9 million dollars a year paysfor, that you run the streets and earn for me. But don't you dare ask meto guarantee you anything. And if you get smart, I'm going treat you likeyou're on the plantation.
It's a matter, gentlemen and ladies, of self-respect. It's a matterof we are not going to be slaves in the city of New York for nobody. You'renot asking nobody to do you no favors. You're not asking no one to giveyou a handout. You earned your wages and you earned the right to be treatedlike any other laborer in the city of New York.
The messengers on the bicycles the complaint they have is they run throughtraffic. But there ain’t no record that they run around snatching bagsand run off on their bikes. There’s no mass record that they're sellingdrugs and dropping off those packages. There's nothing illegal about whatyou do. The only people that don't have health insurance, don't have laborguarantees, are people in illegal businesses.
So what I'm telling you is, once they've taken your self-respect, oncethey've made a punk out of you, it don't matter if you get more runs ornot, you're just a punk with more runs. Make them respect you as a workerbecause that’s what you are.
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