Roommates, if you tried to hail an Uber or Lyft today with no success, it’s not you, it’s them! Drivers around the country have gone on strike looking for the ride-share apps to do more for their employees.
Drivers in cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, and New York say they are standing to send a very clear message to Uber and other ride sharing apps. They are looking for job security, livable incomes and many other demands.
According to NPR, the strike was started by Rideshare Drivers United, a union-like association of ride share drivers in Los Angeles. The group has not only gathered drivers together in protest, but they are asking passengers to boycott as well.
“We ask that the public support drivers in their struggle for fair wages and our Drivers bill of right,” spokesman Brian Dolber told NPR. “We are calling for community standards that will ensure that Uber and Lyft do not create needless traffic and pollution.”
Ride-share driver’s, like those who work for Uber and Lyft, are not considered employees of the company. Rather, they are considered ‘independent contractors’, meaning they are not offered salaries or benefits, and are often responsible for paying back taxes at the end of the year.
As Uber and Lyft are set to make their companies public today, drivers are set to strike for various timeframes. The Los Angeles drivers will strike for 24 hours, and have agreed to rally at LAX at noon. New York drivers will strike for two hours.
“Uber/Lyft going public on the stock market will make billionaires of Uber and Lyft bosses while drivers struggle in poverty and the companies destroy the livelihoods of drivers in every sector,” the New York drivers; organization said in a statement.
Uber has made various statements regarding the strikes, saying its drivers are their number one priority. We hope that the employees make some progress!
