Holiday shoppers, travelers could be caught in crossfire between rival cab groups arguing over strike

A dispute over fare hikes between two groups representing Chicago cabdrivers has escalated and the outcome could effect downtown shopping and airport travel over Thanksgiving.

One group is moving to gather support for a 16 percent fare hike from large Michigan Avenue retailers anxious to avoid a strike.  

Meanwhile the other group is vowing to oppose any job action and said it will  work with city officials to negotiate the fare hike and other job-related demands though city officials remain firm that there will be no fare hike next year.

Caught in the middle are thousands of consumers poised for the annual holiday shopping season, who could be left with heavy bags and only public transportation to rely on.

On Friday, Peter Enger, the secretary of the United Taxi Driver Community Council said: “We’re drafting a letter to send to Michigan Avenue stores asking for their support and if they can afford to lose a day’s business because of the cab strike. This is a crisis, we cannot afford to wait.”

The 300-member strong UTCC is preparing for a Tuesday’s press conference and rally at the James R. Thompson Center plaza in a bid to convince the City of Chicago to authorize a 16 percent fare hike.

On Friday, representatives of a few retail outlets on Michigan Avenue said they did not think their business would be affected by the strike. “We don’t get much taxi cab traffic,” said Crate and Barrel’s assistant store manager Elaine Sheveland. But John Maxson, the president and CEO of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, disagreed.  

“Yes absolutely, we would be affected,” Maxson said. “It’s evident walking down the street there’s a huge need for cab services. It’s extremely necessary to have adequate transport during this busy time.”

Jocelin Shalom, 23, a publicity assistant at the Art Institute of Chicago, said a strike would affect people’s plans. “It would have an effect on people’s shopping and spending habits but more profoundly on people’s travel arrangements for Thanksgiving, to get to airports,” said Shalom in an e-mail.  

The Chicago Department of Transportation is currently offering a free trolley service, that picks people up at Chicago Union Station and drops them off at various points on Michigan Avenue, but the service only runs till Jan. 4. “Michigan Avenue is such a visitor oriented place,” Maxson said, adding that travelers unfamiliar with public transportation would prefer to take cabs.

While the UTCC is trying to appeal to the city by garnering support from retail outlets, Steve Weidersberg of the Chicago Professional Taxicab Drivers Association said his group has been speaking to city officials about the possibility of sitting down with Mayor Richard M. Daley to discuss a fare hike, per-person surcharge and more support for directing clients to city cabs at airports.

“I wrote an open letter and posted it at 15 to 20 different locations across the city where cabdrivers frequent,” said Weidersberg, the president and founder of CPTDA. He said he received “tremendous” feedback. “I put it in O’Hare (International Airport) and many cabdrivers are contacting me about it. They don’t want to strike.”

While the two cab driver groups continued to bicker Friday, Norma Reyes, commissioner of the Department of Consumer Services, stood firm, saying there would be no fare hike in January. “This administration has done a lot for cab drivers. We’ve met with half a dozen taxi organizations and are trying to have a discussion.”  

Reyes said it was unfortunate that the UTCC is contemplating a strike. “But they don’t represent all the cabdrivers in the city,” she said.