Khalifa Siwa died holding his insulin pen. Babacar Dem was on kidney dialysis three times a week and drove longer hours to make up for income he lost while receiving his treatment so that he could keep up with his lease payments. Richard Coulibaly had been in and out of the hospital due to heart issues. Jagjit Singh picked up his 10-year-old twin sons from school every day but couldn't afford to take time off for his health. The four yellow taxi drivers who died on the job over the summer all had health issues they weren't able to take care of because they couldn't afford to take time off. Most Americans can't afford to take unpaid sick days. But the situation is even more dire for NYC's professional drivers who pay every day just to go to work with fixed expenses like vehicle insurance, car lease payments, and medallion loan payments. Any day they take off puts them further into debt. That's why we're organizing to win life-saving health and wellness benefits for NYC yellow taxi, Uber, Lyft, and livery drivers including: ➡️ short-term disability ➡️ supplemental Workers Comp and disability ➡️ paid sick and family leave ➡️ term life and accidental death and dismemberment insurances ➡️supplemental care such as vision, dental, ➡️ and the first-ever retirement plan for NYC drivers Uber and Marblegate's endorsement of NYTWA's health and wellness agenda means that over 100,000 NYC drivers are that much closer to securing these critical on-the-job safety nets. Unlike in 2013-2014 when taxi garages organized to oppose NYTWA's fund for yellow cab drivers, this time there is active support from the two largest corporations for NYTWA's proposal.

Tune into @WBAI 99.5 FM at 12:30 PM today to hear NYTWA Executive Director Bhairavi Desai talk about our fight for on-the-job benefits for all TLC drivers.

Baboucar Dem, 60, died mid-shift, on a bathroom break with his taxi parked on the streets he served. Born in Senegal, he drove for over 30 years. A fellow cabbie would tell you that he likely served 100,000 people during that time. Baboucar valued education for his children more than anything else. His 21-year-old daughter is a nursing student. His 19-year-old son is a psychology major. His 17-year-old daughter wants to become a doctor. His 6-year-old son, the heart and joy of their world, just started 1st grade and wants to become a YouTuber. Baboucar roamed the corners of New York City for fares, keeping strangers safe and on time, but he always returned to the Bronx to bring his youngest home from school every afternoon. He worked longer hours and more days to make it so. Rest easy, our brother. Your light shines on as a star in the skies. Your legacy lives on through your children - united, resilient and determined as you taught them to be and dedicated to their mom. And legacy lives on through our struggle. Rest in eternal peace, our dear brother.