And Now Meet Our Staff!
RDU is unique as a platform driver organization. We are a driver-run organization, committed to democratic decision-making, and fighting for full rights and fair pay here in California. Driver members consider RDU a union, drivers fighting together for rights and pay, but without formal recognition by the companies as the union for all drivers. Not yet anyway!
Most of what RDU does is done by driver volunteers, from phone calls and texts you might receive, to protest signs, to maps to get to actions, and even this newsletter - all work of driver volunteers! And that’s why when you make a suggestion, you’ll often hear something like, “That’s a great idea! How could we make that happen?” and then be asked to help!
Our Board of Directors are all drivers who were elected by Voting Members of RDU. All California drivers are welcome to become members of RDU, and if you’re a California driver receiving this, you are most likely already a member, having signed up at our website, drivers-united.org. Voting Members are just California drivers who have signed up to support RDU with $15/month “dues” to support our growing organization.
RDU is only as strong as the drivers who are part of it - with your ideas, our support for each other, and the fact that it’s all of us, working together who build the union by talking to and connecting drivers who aren’t yet involved… and turn out for protests to fight till we win!
In addition to RDU’s amazing driver volunteers, activists, and protesters, we also have two staff people we’ve hired to help keep RDU moving forward. Meet OUR staff!
Many of you have met Tyler Sandness when you have questions about what’s happening, need help finding resources, or just don’t know the location of the latest protest. Tyler is a former full-time driver who became a stand-out volunteer at our first protests in 2019, taking on the role of safety chief, and wearing an orange vest over his bright green RDU shirt to help keep people in safety zones at some of our first protests. Tyler joined staff in late 2019, and has become the Operations Chief for RDU since then. Always friendly, ready to lend an ear, and professional, Tyler is a key piece of keeping RDU moving forward.
Mohammad Raza got involved with RDU in our first strike in March of 2019. At that time he was in college and driving on the side for income. As a graduate, he started in the working world doing various organizing jobs in electoral and political settings, as well as supporting workers and drivers through his volunteering. Still a driver on the side, Mohammad joined RDU staff in July as a full-time Organizing Director, to build our capacity to reach more drivers and build driver power around the state. His hard work is already inspiring drivers and resulting in growing numbers of drivers getting involved. When you meet him, please give him a warm welcome to the RDU family!
