Media outlet, City & State recently released a list of New Yorkers notable for “disrupting the status quo and driving transformative change.” In a June 27 article, titled “Above & Beyond: Innovators,” Ira Goldstein, executive director of the New York Black Car Fund (BCF), was chosen as an influential leader from his industry.
“[Our] list recognizes the transformative work that leaders in government, business and the nonprofit sector have done to improve the lives of New Yorkers across the state,” City & State noted. “While their perspectives may differ, each individual on this list keeps innovation at the top of their minds.”
The article went on to offer details about Mr. Goldstein’s career and the BCF:
- The Black Car Fund’s efforts in support of independent black car drivers dates back to 1999… when then-Gov. George Pataki signed state legislation creating the organization, which used a surcharge paid by customers to guarantee that drivers have access to worker’s compensation coverage.
- More than two decades later, Ira Goldstein oversees a fund that goes well beyond worker’s compensation. About 100,000 FHV drivers now have access to a myriad of other benefits through the Black Car Fund, including a [$100,000] death benefit for driver’s beneficiaries, health benefits giving them access to vision, dental and telemedicine services, and wellness classes.
- During the pandemic, the Fund gave out more than 15,000 kits to drivers, with personal protective equipment. The BCF also teamed up with the Independent Drivers Guild to distribute thousands of at-home COVID-19 tests to drivers at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports.
- Goldstein leads an organization that takes innovative approaches to helping independent workers, who may not always have a safety net. “It also allows the public to have more confidence in the drivers,” says Goldstein, “that when they’re getting in the car, they’re well taken care of and that it’s safe.”
We congratulate Mr. Goldstein and the New York Black Car Fund for being recognized with this well-deserved honor.
Source: City & State
