Disabled activists fight service cuts

At a Nov. 18 news conference called by the disabled rights organization Warriors on Wheels, members of the group spoke out against the Detroit Department of Transportation using unsafe transportation providers for seniors and disabled residents.

By failing to pay the Metro Lift contractor Veolia Transportation, the City has instituted a replacement operation of small subcontractors and taxicabs that not only downgraded service, but will mean the loss of jobs of more than 100 para-transit drivers, most of whom live in Detroit. Outside the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Warriors on Wheels were joined by blue-uniformed drivers, officials from Teamsters Local 243 and the Rev. Bullock from Rainbow-PUSH.

The city of Detroit’s actions are the tip of the privatization iceberg slamming into the city work force. Small, independent, non-union subcontractors, favorites of the current city administration and the banks, are demanding cuts despite the desperate situation faced by Detroit residents. These cuts continue the push to lower wages and income for working people.