ABSTRACT
Van Arsdale's connection to Mayor Wagner was a significant part of the success of the early union. Instead of attempting to organize the industry all at once, as many other unions had tried in the past, the Organizing Committee began working with only those garages that had expressed an interest. The mayor was rather irritated that the two-year drive to win collective bargaining rights resulted in the city settling the dispute. On January 16, 1968 a 30 percent increase in cab fares was passed by the city council. Their decision had been spurred on by a one-day strike involving most of the city's taxis. Historically the owners were considered the greatest threat to all collective bargaining hopes since they were able to manipulate a disorganized hack labor force at their whim. With the entrenchment of Van Arsdale's power in the taxi industry, the union and the fleet owners have virtually merged into one corporate entity.
