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Burlington, Mass. — More than 100 members and guests were present of the New England Livery Association’s (NELA’s) quarterly meeting and holiday party sponsored by Lancer Insurance and Research Underwriters and held at the Boston Marriott Burlington on December 13. Not only did the event give NELA members the opportunity to catch up on industry and association business, but the seasonal merry-making was in full effect, along with some entertainment courtesy of comic Steve Sweeney. CD Editor Rob Smentek was among those in attendance.
While a DJ spun holiday favorites, the party got underway with a cocktail hour sponsored by Chauffeur Driven. Following a buffet dinner, NELA President Mike Callahan of Able Limousine welcomed the crowd, and asked everyone for a moment of silence in honor of recently passed NELA members Johnny Greene and Jerry Robbins.
Next, the evening’s sponsors were invited to speak, including Steven O’Shea from Lancer Insurance, Steve Crispo from Research Underwriters, Dan Morgan from Advantage Funding, Jeff DeMarco from Royale Limousine Manufacturers, and NELA Director Lynda Saitta of Momentum Drives spoke on behalf Jeff Brodsly from Chosen Payments who was unable to attend. Scott Solombrino of Dav El/Boston Coach was invited to speak, and shared his memories of close friend Robbins and provided an update of the association’s legislation successes.
The giving spirit of the season was in full force when two checks were presented to the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Earlier in the year, NELA raised funds for the foundation at the association’s annual golf tournament. Six thousand dollars was raised from proceeds of the golf outing, followed by another $5000 bid by Dawson Rutter of Commonwealth Worldwide at a live auction following the tournament. At the holiday party, Tami Saccoccio of Commonwealth presented the checks to CFF representatives Karen Kelly and Pam Simms-Spitzer.
NELA Executive Director Rick Szilagyi of Lexian Management along with Saitta then acted as MCs for the evening’s auction, which included a pass donated by CD to their 2017 Trade Show and Conference in Orlando from October 22-25. NELA 2nd Vice President Tina Benson of L.A. Limousine was the winner. Other prizes included an assortment of lottery tickets that was donated in Robbins’ name.
The evening concluded with a comedy show and karaoke party, sponsored by Chosen Payments, Advantage Funding, Royale Limousine Manufacturers, and an anonymous sponsor on behalf of Robbins. Sweeney, a regional comedy legend and character actor, kept attendees in hysterics during his 45-minute stand-up set. NELA members and their families then got to play rock star as they sang some of classic rock’s biggest hits.
NELA’s next quarterly meeting is scheduled to be held on February 28 at Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, Mass.
Visit nelivery.org for more information.
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Faribault, Minn. — ABC Companies, the exclusive distributor of VanHool motorcoaches, has recognized three employees for 30 years of exceptional service to their customers and the industry.
“A 30-year anniversary is a milestone that is not often achieved in the workplace today and we are truly honored to be able to recognize three ABC employees for this 30-year milestone,” said Dane Cornell, CEO and chairman.
Senior Financial Services Administrator Wendy Hansen started as a document coordinator at ABC Financial Services. She points out, “I’m a bit of a behind the scenes employee but I enjoy the interaction with customers and lenders. I’ve met and worked with a lot of wonderful people at ABC.”
Carlo Schiantabasti began as his career as a technician at ABC’s Camden, N.J., facility. Over the years he’s built close relationships with customers all over the East Coast. Carlo says “It’s been a great career filled with lots of friendships, both inside the company and with customers.”
Although his background was in agriculture, ABC’s Southern California Senior Account Manager Charlie Walser took a job with ABC in part because he enjoyed working with people. It quickly became apparent that he was gifted in working with customers and ABC transferred him to California.
“We appreciate their dedication and loyalty to our organization and service and commitment to our customers,” said Cornell. “A heartfelt thank-you to Carlo, Charlie, and Wendy from all of us for a job well done and we look forward to many more successful and productive years.”
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
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New York — As Uber advances its plans to expand upstate, New Yorkers expect that ride-hailing apps would adhere to the same safety standards and driver protections currently in place in New York City. Yet Uber is trying to get out of this basic obligation by proposing to start its own workers’ compensation fund—under private control—which would not offer sufficient protections for riders and drivers.
As a matter of New York State law, Uber currently is required to provide drivers with workers’ compensation insurance, unemployment benefits, safety training, and support services as a member of the award-winning, state-regulated Black Car Fund (BCF) that insures both drivers and riders enjoy the highest professional standards. However, in the last legislative session, Uber attempted to get out of this common sense requirement, which all black car dispatch bases statewide must meet.
The New York Black Car Operators’ Injury Compensation Fund, now known simply as the BCF, was created by statute for the sole purpose of providing workers' compensation coverage to black car operators in the state of New York. The statute was signed into law by Governor George Pataki in May 1999. The BCF derives its income from a 2.5 percent surcharge, which is billed and collected by member bases from their clients and then remitted to the fund. Today, it has approximately 300 member bases and covers more than 33,000 affiliated drivers.
“Uber is an ambitious company with big plans, but the company’s continued success cannot come at the expense of its customers or the real-life people who drive for it. Upstate New Yorkers deserve the same protections that exist in New York City for a safer ride,” said Ira Goldstein, BCF executive director. “We want Uber to thrive, but New Yorkers also need to be protected. There is no reason we can’t do both.”
According to Goldstein and the BCF leadership, Uber should:
1. Mandate fingerprinting as part of any criminal background check to protect riders. Uber agreed to fingerprinting for its New York City drivers but refused to do so in Austin, Texas, and instead left the city. Convenience is not more important than rider safety, and Uber continues to be plagued by frequent news reports about its drivers harassing or even sexually assaulting female passengers. This should be a major concern as Uber markets itself on college campuses where N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo has made a concerted effort to address rape statistics. New York City riders know that when they step into an Uber, their driver has been fully vetted for their protection, and Upstate riders deserve the same peace of mind.
2. Remain part of New York State’s mandated workers’ compensation fund and continue to provide drivers with workers’ compensation insurance, safety training, and support services. An independent analysis by Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting found Uber’s proposed fund to be “economically unsound,” concluding that it would result in “gross underfinancing.”
Drivers cannot work without a minimum standard of protection, but Goldstein says the BCF goes even further to encourage a safe and healthy workforce through a Wellness Program, which includes:
- Healthy Driving, which is instructed by a BCF Driver Wellness Coach and addresses issues of driving in NYC, as well as the affects it has on the drivers. The program also includes instruction on posture, start movements, exercise, and stress reduction.
- Hands-Only CPR instruction, through a partnership with New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell’s Heart Institute
- Share the Road, a partnership with Bike New York, to reinforce drivers’ sense of responsibility to provide leadership as the most responsible and professional team of drivers on the roadways of NYC.
- The BCF Wellness STEP 2016 includes AMBER Alert training in conjunction with the New York State Police Department to educate drivers on how to register to receive text message AMBER Alerts, as well as the steps drivers can actively take upon receiving the notification that an AMBER Alert has been issued.
Visit nybcac.org or nybcf.org for more information about the Black Car Fund.
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