Date night ruined! Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers planning to strike on Valentine’s Day for fair pay
- Thousands of taxi drivers plan to strike on Valentine’s Day on Wednesday
- Lyft said last week that the company would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers
Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers will cause chaos this Valentine’s Day in a mass strike for higher wages.
The demonstrations will come about a week after Lyft said it would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers, a first in the U.S. ride-hailing industry, as it looks to attract more drivers to its platform.
“We are continually working to improve the driving experience,” Lyft, which will report quarterly results on Tuesday, said in a statement on Monday.
The drivers, who are considered independent contractors, have accused the platforms of collecting disproportionately high amounts as commissions.
Thousands of drivers from ride-sharing platforms Uber, Lyft and food delivery app DoorDash are expected to go on strike in the United States on Valentine’s Day for fair wages, driver groups said Monday
The demonstrations will come about a week after Lyft said it would guarantee weekly earnings for drivers, a first in the U.S. ride-hailing industry, as it looks to attract more drivers to its platform.
“This is the largest strike I’ve ever seen, thousands and thousands of drivers… it’s going to be nationwide,” said Jonathan Cruz, a driver in Miami and part of the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents more than 100,000 drivers . .
The coalition says their demands include “living wages, a safe work environment, an end to unfair deactivation, quality health care facilities, reliable access to bathrooms and the right to form a union.”
Uber said only a minority of its drivers participate in such strikes, which rarely impact business.
The drivers, who are considered independent contractors, have accused the platforms of collecting disproportionately high amounts as commissions
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said during an earnings call with analysts last week that U.S. drivers earned about $33 per hour used in the fourth quarter.
While many drivers sign up with these companies to supplement their income from other jobs, some drive for the platforms full-time.
“One year into algorithmic pricing, drivers have seen an incredible drop in our wages… whatever calculations and algorithms they use are absolutely useless,” Nicole Moore, president of the California-based union Rideshare Drivers United, said Sunday.
In 2023, Uber drivers’ monthly average gross earnings fell 17.1 percent, while Lyft drivers rose 2.5 percent, according to Gridwise, which analyzes gig mobility data.
The coalition says their demands include “living wages, a safe work environment, an end to unfair deactivation, quality healthcare facilities, reliable access to bathrooms and the right to form a union.”
“Not paying drivers a living wage leaves drivers unable to afford basic necessities,” said Shantwan Humphrey, a driver in Dallas, Texas.
DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The UK strike is being organized by a secretive group of couriers known only as Delivery Job UK, via social media including WhatsApp.
The leaders appear to be Brazilian nationals living in London.