Field Placement:  UCLA Labor Occupational Health & Safety (LOSH)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Preceptor: Linda Delp
Student Name: Helena Milmeister
Year: 2008

WHO: I had the opportunity to band together to work for the health rights of Los Angeles taxi drivers. In order to do so, several organizations and interns, including myself, organized a health committee for the Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance (LATWA). Members of the LATWA Health Committee include individuals from the UCLA Labor, Occupational, Safety & Health (LOSH), Southern California Occupational, Safety & Health (SoCal COSH), South Asian Network (SAN), and the Inner City Law Center (ICLC). There was, also, working taxi drivers attending the meetings.

WHAT: The work consisted of formulating and conducting various research projects in order to further understand the health issues drivers face along with trying to find out what it is the drivers want. Initially, it was to be all health related, especially health insurance and health care based; however, it morphed into being more about community organizing as it became clear this was where the drivers’ main concerns are. Many meetings were attended to determine the best possible way the needs of the drivers could be addressed and through these meetings I was assigned several tasks that all members agreed were most pertinent. These tasks consisted of attending meetings, research associated with taxi drivers, developing health related materials, establishing and maintaining communication with an organization to provide health assessment screenings, generate a health questionnaire and survey that can be used at the screenings, producing outlines and facilitating focus groups, and visits to the LAX ATS Holding Lot.

WHEN: The first meetings began in March 2008 and I began my fieldwork in May 2008 with completion of my fieldwork at the end of July 2008. Although my fieldwork is complete, I will be continuing to work with LATWA, considering I play an integral part of the health committee and have contributed so much to the organization from the very beginning.

WHERE: Much of the work has been from the Korean Immigrants Workers Association and that is where all of the meetings have taken place. Other work has been through UCLA-LOSH, the LAX ATS Holding Lot, and through countless research hours in the library.

WHY: The reason why LATWA was started several years ago is because taxi drivers in Los Angeles face dire conditions and do not have a voice. LATWA is working to fight for the rights of the taxi drivers and build a sense of community within the drivers to empower themselves. Drivers have many poor health outcomes, so we started the Health Committee for LATWA to begin addressing these problems.

HOW: Through the hard work and dedication to many caring individuals who strive to create a healthy population of taxi drivers with political power. By creating a health committee full of people who want to make difference, others will be empowered.

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