The NYC Carriage Drivers are Teamsters!

The NYC carriage drivers have made history as the first modern carriage horse industry in America to join the Teamsters Union. As you may know the Teamsters were originally formed by horsemen who drove teams of horses delivering heavy freight in 1903. These men, their horses, and their Union kept America running. Since then the Teamsters Union has swelled to over 1.4 million members nation wide, with 120,000 in NYC alone.
Our Local is 553. In the late 1800's we were known as the Team Coal drivers, a group of horsemen who delivered coal all over this great city. Since the automotive era, however, the Local has been made up of the oil delivery drivers who still call the buildings where they keep their oil trucks "barns".
As Teamsters, we and our brothers have access to political representation at the city, state, and national level. Owning and operating an animal enterprise such as ours, is a labor issue as much as it is an animal issue. Here in NYC, we have demonstrated the checks and balances that are in place for our horses, as well as the good care we provide them. Should the same not be available to the carriage drivers, the stable workers, the stables owners, and any other worker in our industry?
We should note that being a member of this Local in no way pits the drivers against the owners, or vise versa. We are all members together; owners, drivers, stablemen, etc.


Here is the link to the article in the NY daily News....
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/01/25/2009-01-25_carriage_drivers_join_teamsters_as_city_.html


And here is a link to the article in The Irish Echo...
http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=19017