- Thousands of rideshare workers plan to strike on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day
- Lyft said the company would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers last week.
Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers will cause chaos on Valentine’s Day during a massive strike for higher wages.
The protests will take place about a week after Lyft said it would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers, a first for the U.S. ride-sharing industry as it seeks to attract more drivers to its platform.
“We are constantly working to improve the driver experience,” Lyft, which will report its quarterly results on Tuesday, said in a statement Monday.
Drivers, considered independent contractors, have accused the platforms of charging disproportionately high commissions.
Thousands of drivers for ride-sharing platforms Uber, Lyft and food delivery app DoorDash are expected to strike across the United States on Valentine’s Day to demand fair pay, driver groups said Monday.
The protests will take place about a week after Lyft said it would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers, a first for the U.S. ride-sharing industry as it seeks to attract more drivers to its platform.
‘This is the biggest strike I’ve ever seen, thousands and thousands of drivers… it’s going to be nationwide,’ said Jonathan Cruz, a Miami driver and part of the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents more than 100,000 drivers. .
The coalition says its demands include “living wages, a safe work environment, an end to unfair deactivation, quality health care benefits, reliable bathroom access and the right to form a union.”
Uber said only a minority of its drivers participate in such strikes, which rarely impact business.
Drivers, considered independent contractors, have accused the platforms of charging disproportionately high amounts in commissions.
Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said last week on an earnings call with analysts that drivers in the United States earned about $33 per hour used in the fourth quarter.
While many drivers sign up for these companies to supplement their income from other jobs, some drive full-time for the platforms.
“A year after algorithmic pricing, we drivers have seen an incredible decrease in our pay…whatever calculations and algorithms they are using, it is absolutely useless,” Nicole Moore, president of the Rideshare Drivers union, said Sunday. United, based in California.
In 2023, the average monthly gross earnings of Uber drivers fell 17.1 percent, while those of Lyft drivers rose 2.5 percent, according to Gridwise, which analyzes gig mobility data.
The coalition says its demands include “living wages, a safe work environment, an end to unfair deactivation, quality health care benefits, reliable bathroom access and the right to form a union.”
“By not paying drivers a living wage, drivers are barely able to cover basic needs,” said Shantwan Humphrey, a driver from Dallas, Texas.
DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The British strike is organized by a secret group of couriers known only as Delivery Job UK, via social media including WhatsApp.
The leaders appear to be Brazilian citizens living in London.