Comments on: Chicago’s lax enforcement of minimum wage hike leaves workers in the lurch https://www.chicagoreporter.com/chicagos-lax-enforcement-of-minimum-wage-hike-leaves-workers-in-the-lurch/ Investigating race and poverty since 1972 Mon, 28 Aug 2017 15:14:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: DrMaat https://www.chicagoreporter.com/chicagos-lax-enforcement-of-minimum-wage-hike-leaves-workers-in-the-lurch/#comment-11945 Mon, 28 Aug 2017 15:14:00 +0000 http://www.chicagoreporter.com/?p=1039538#comment-11945 It is unfortunate that in the disability, low incone, senior and Black communities that human aervices beneficiaries must compete with to get coverage for their paratransit and accessible housing issues. A recent article in the Trivune makes it seem that all is well now with paratransit as delivered by Pace. The truth is due to pressure and compliants that led to meetings with Pace, complaints from riders and advocates from Paratransit Coalition and IMPRUVE, organizing effirts to unite riders and drivers, and outcries at ADA advisory meetings, there have been small improvements in general, and larger improvements in services for those who complain the loudest or longest, but not enough for the 66,000+ to make a significant difference in halting long out of the way trips by carriers who take advantage of clients after the real Pace closes. The 800 number to check on rides is managed by a carrier contractor, not Pace customer service. The carriers especially take advantage of riders who are nonverbal, have intellectual disabilities, seniors who fear if they complain their services will be terminated, do not have cellphones to call for help, or do not believe that things will change becuz of prior handling of their conplsints to Pace that went nowhere. The best improvement jas been to dispatch taxis when carriers ate very late or mess up trips, but again this is not provided on an equitable basis to stranded riders across the region. Pace accepts that approximately 750 trips. can be late daily. That may be acceptable to pace and RTA, but not the riders. That equals 22,500 late yrips monthly by yje largest paratransit carrier in the nation. Wow!! And Chicago City Council Transportation Committee, RTA, FTA (Federal Transit Administration), Governor’s Office on Constituent Affairs, the state legislature, Congress, and the OEIG (Office of Executive Inspector General) of the State of Illinois responsoble for the transit providers CTA, RTA, Pace and Metra allow this as an acceptable way to provide accessible services to the most vulnerable population in this state and city. Most are seniors, hsve low oncone and in Chicago are mainly Black. In Chicago, 43, 365 plus ride! We can’t just do a SMH and biry our headsin the sand. To their credit, Pace does not intentionally abuse riders abd drivers. That is left to the carriers. But where is the accountability? Whete is the union for carriers? There is RIDER-Driver Alliance form both riders and drivers, bit IBT 727 will not talk to us and has done little to abate driver complaints that we have received or heard. Drovers gear losibg jobs sinply from reporting abuses or attendibg a meetibg. SCR is only carrier that is not a union shop. SCR drivers probably feel paying dues out of low wages is not worth it. But again, where is the union for CDT which was bought recently by National Express, MV and First Transit?

And where is the real coverage of real stories of the abuses, issues and poor performance?

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