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The NLA’s 2018 Day on the Hill welcomed nearly 50 attendees Washington, D.C. — Fresh off the success of a recently released PSA, the National Limousine Association (NLA) held its annual Day on the Hill lobbying event May 22-23 at the capitol’s brand-new waterfront InterContinental Hotel. Chauffeur Driven Editor Madeleine Maccar was present for Tuesday’s guest speakers and educational sessions.
On May 15, the NLA released the fourth installment of a series of PSAs with abuse survivor, activist, and actress Pamela Anderson through its Ride Responsibility initiative. The focus of this most recent video, which can be seen here, is calling TNCs to the carpet for their predatory means of luring in drivers with empty promises of flexibility and high payoff but offering little else beyond grueling hours and mishandling by the gig economy.
It served as a timely introduction to the primary issue on the NLA’s agenda for this year’s Day on the Hill, which was the unfair labor practice of misclassifying drivers for Uber, Lyft, and other TNCs as IOs when they actually deserve full employee benefits.
With Cornerstone Government Affairs once again being a key component in the event’s success, Principal and Director Louie Perry and Senior Vice President Todd Webster kicked off the presentations with the goal of providing background information and advice on best lobbying practices for the nearly 50 attendees present to best arm them with the information they’d need to effectively speak on behalf of the industry.
NLA Executive Director Sarah Gazi (left) and Associate Executive Director Megan Capie During his political overview and NLA legislative update, Perry provided an update regarding TNC- and transportation-related bills and political goings-on, as well as highlighting victories—such as the proposed safe-harbor tax haven that a proposed bill’s provision would have created for TNCs that misclassify their employees as IOs, which the NLA’s advocacy and Senate democrats’ action killed on the Senate floor.
Perry also reminded attendees that autonomous vehicle legislation is moving through the House and lauded the recent victory of the California Public Utility Commission ruling that Uber is a charter party carrier and must pay both a backlog of and future fees accordingly, as he reiterated that “the way to beat them is to fight them on a level playing field.”
“Now’s the time to put our foot on the gas pedal,” Webster added as he took to the podium for his own presentation that detailed Uber’s mounting losses, the current and predicted political climate, and potential influencers regarding the Department of Labor.
Manesh Rath, a partner at Keller and Heckman, has been offering his legal support to both the NLA and Cornerstone, and spoke to those in attendance about what it will take to regulate TNCs as well as promising rulings related to them.
Two legislative representatives also spoke: Allison Green, the press secretary for Michigan Senator Gary C. Peters at his D.C. office, discussed Peters’ role as an “architect of autonomous car legislation” and his support of the transportation industry, and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin spoke as a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workforce Safety.
NLA Secretary Scott Solombrino of Dav El/BostonCoach and Chauffeur Driven Editor Madeleine Maccar Green emphasized that public opinion will have a significant say in how autonomous cars and their corollary issues play out in the next few years, while Baldwin applauded the industry’s boots-on-the-ground actions. The senator reiterated that “the issue of TNC drivers is far too important to the IO vs. employee conversation to be left to the courts and representatives alone,” adding that she has concerns about applying 20th-century legal definitions to 21st-century technology.
NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury Transportation is encouraged by the industry’s willingness to take advocacy in its own hands, as well as the recognition they’re receiving from legislators.
“Our Day on the Hill efforts have been helped along by the widely reported bad behavior of Uber and Lyft, and more recently, the courts and state regulators are providing leadership and confronting the TNC violations of fair labor practices,” he said. “Washington is waking up to the fact that more needs to be done.”
Check back with the June issue of Chauffeur Driven for expanded coverage of this event.
Visit limo.org for more information.
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L to R: Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide, NLA President Gary Buffo of Pure Luxury, and Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide with a rebate check for LANJ West Orange, N.J. — Despite the stormy weather, spirits were high inside the Wilshire Grand Hotel, where the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) held its 16th annual auction fundraiser event. Thanks to the hard work of returning event chairmen Barry Trabb and Bruce Cirlin of Complete Fleet Livery Sales, and Premier Sponsors Ford-Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles and Maplecrest Ford Lincoln, nearly $19,000 was raised over the course of the evening. CD Publisher Chris Weiss and Editor Rob Smentek attended the event, along with 75 LANJ members and industry representatives.
Among the special guests present for the dinner and auction was NLA President Gary Buffo from Pure Luxury Transportation. As Buffo took the stage for a short presentation to the association, he offered high praise to the event and its organizers, emphatically stating “this the best regional event I’ve ever attended.”
Buffo then outlined the NLA’s current plan of shifting its public relations focus from raising awareness about safety to labor issues. With the NLA’s largest spend on PR, he stressed the importance of members getting the most value for their dollar through a campaign that’s effective. Recently, the association launched another massively successful PSA with Pamela Anderson geared toward TNC employees, which was immediately picked up by the mainstream press. Buffo confirmed that labor would be the sole focus at the NLA’s May 22 Day on the Hill, particularly the California legislature recently ruling that TNC drivers ARE employees. He made it clear that this will be their “most important” day in D.C., as it’s key to maintain the momentum gained on the West Coast. Before Buffo left the podium, he presented a check to LANJ totaling $7,895, which came from a 20-percent rebate of dues from members who hold dual memberships in both associations.
Following a cocktail hour heavy on networking and a buffet dinner, the evening kicked off with a few words from LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide. He welcomed Trabb and Cirlin to the stage, who graciously thanked the Premier Sponsors, and then gave props to the Supporting Sponsors, including Capacity Coverage, Chosen Payments, Grech Motors, Intek Auto Leasing, and T-Mobile. Next Craig Hall from Ford-Lincoln gave an update on new Ford products and offers available to the industry.
: L to R: Howard Gogel of My Limousine Service, Jon Epstein of Royal Coachman Worldwide, Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car/Above All Transportation, CD Publisher Chris Weiss, Joe Gulino of Gem Limousine, Tim Rose of Addison Lee, and Barbara Chirico of Gem Limousine Finally, it was time for returning auctioneer Pete Corelli of Lakeview Custom Coach to get the action started. Among the items up for big were sports tickets, industry services, gift baskets, and the perennially popular lottery ticket board donated once again by Gem Limousine.
Once again, Chauffeur Driven was proud to take part in the auction, and contributed a pair of passes to their 2018 Show held October 7-10 outside of D.C, as well as a pass to the 2019 Executive Retreat in Austin, Texas. Brett Barenholtz of Boston Car Service/Above All Transportation took home the Show passes, while Buffo won the Retreat ticket. For the first time at the event, CD donated two Affiliate Packages, which included a table at the Affiliate Central Forum at the 2018 show, a banner ad on chauffeurdriven.com, and a half page ad in a 2018 issue of the magazine. These were won by Gem Limousine and Addison Lee.
After the auction was complete, Sharenow delivered his LANJ report to the members. Chief among the issues raised was the possibility of sales tax being reinstated on chauffeured ground transportation operators. Sharenow pledged that he would make it his mission to ensure that this tax will levied against the industry unfairly, as in the past it was not required from taxis and TNCs.
The evening’s final speaker was Mark Kenny from Addison Lee, who gave a recap of a meeting recently held with the Port Authority. He shared that LaGuardia Airport has reopened a garage in Terminal B, which will allow chauffeurs to park and offer meet-and-greet service. Kenny also confirmed that the Authority is “aggressively policing” TNCs to make sure they’re operating within airport regulations.
LANJ’s next general membership event is their 2nd annual golf outing, scheduled for September 17.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine (left) with winner of a 2018 CD Show pass Rebecca Schuck of Going Green Limousine Schiller Park, Ill. — More than 100 attendees—102, to be exact—came out to support this year’s annual meeting of the Illinois Limousine Association (ILA), which was held May 16 at Comfort Suites O’Hare Airport.
Open to members and non-members alike, the meeting welcomed industry operators and vendors from not only all across Illinois but also those who hail from Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Georgia. Many of those out-of-state guests also joined the ILA for the networking event held the evening of May 15 at the nearby McCormick and Schmick’s.
Jackie Dodd of Chicago Trans Limousine won a pass to the 2018 CD Show at the May 16 ILA annual meeting And, in addition to boasting a three-figure, far-flung attendance, the ILA’s annual meeting also showcased an array of firsts, many of which are indicative of how the industry is getting more and more intermingled with the bus and motorcoach side of ground transportation.
“We were fortunate to have Susan Rhode of American Bus Association share the focus and initiatives of the ABA,” ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine wrote in her letter to attendees. “This is the first time ever that the bus industry has participated in a local livery association meeting. The ABA…see(s) the value of the livery companies that are adding buses to their fleets. Times are changing and we are evolving!”
L to R: Kathy Kahne and George Jacobs of Windy City Limousine, Bill Faeth of Limo University, Todd Roberts of JACO Limousine & Transportation, ILA President Tracy Raimer of Windy City Limousine, and Nick Lopez of JACO Limousine & Transportation Among the record-breaking 15 vehicles on display at the event, MCI displayed one of its motorcoaches, while ECB had four of its fleet vehicles on display—a Freightliner Super Coach, F550 Shuttle, Mercedes Sprinter, and a stretched MK—and Volvo also showcased one of its sedans. All three companies were first-time sponsors of an ILA meeting.
“We had the largest vehicle show in ILA history and one of the largest displays of any state or regional association,” Raimer raved.
The yearly meeting also included 16 vendor booths, and array of free services (like the opportunity to get new headshots taken and website SEO evaluations) and a full day of updates, information, education, panelists, and speakers representing all facets of the ground transportation industry.
Sarah McKee of Chosen Payments and Rene Martinez of Grech Motors The roster of speakers covered a wide array of topics. Raimer provided local and association updates while Rohde, the ABA’s Vice President of Government & Affairs Policy, discussed the national transportation scene. The LMC Group’s Aleja Seabron discussed “Developing and Maintaining a Business Presence on LinkedIn” before hosting a panel discussion on effectively marketing on a budget and helping those in attendance update their LinkedIn profile for a bolstered professional image. And keynote speaker Bill Faeth if Limo University emphasized how imperative working together as an industry is in these rapidly shifting times.
"It is time to push the friction aside between operators, simplify the process of working together, understand what working together means, and be more than just a transportation provider, no matter how many vehicles you dispatch.,” he advised. “Relationships with clients—including affiliates—are the key to doing business."
Some of the record-breaking 15 vehicles that were on display at the meeting The meeting ended with several drawings, which included two passes to the 2018 Chauffeur Driven Show at the Gaylord National from October 7-10. Jackie Dodd of Chicago Trans Limousine and Rebecca Schuck of Going Green Limousine were the lucky winners.
The next ILA event will be its open board meeting June 6.
Visit illinoislimousineassociation.com for more information.
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